One of Those Moments
by Kb.Ellen
Summary: Life was never supposed to turn out like this, but somehow, somewhere, it took a turn for the worst. As Kurt works to break free from the things he fears and the person who has hurt him, can he realize that help can come when you least expect it, from those who know what love really means? Abuse, and some violence. Fluff galore and maybe some smut. Rated M. Klaine.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hello! This story has just been practically writing itself in my brain, so I thought it was time to actually type it out and do something with it! It's going to be pretty angsty, but I'm hoping that it has a lot of heart to it too. It will have some pretty cute moments in it, but the only way I can think to describe this type of fluff is as follows: I don't want it to give you a toothache, I want it to give you a bellyache; I want it to go deeper. Does that make any sense? Anyways, I'm going to leave you alone and let you do some reading! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Prologue**

It's one of those moments

When you know you'll stand your ground

Whether that makes you brave or foolish

And you know beyond a doubt

That you won't move until you _know_ they aren't coming back

When you'll wait and hope that they'll look back

Or turn around

When you pray that they'll realize it's all a mistake

And then _you _realize that the mistake might not be in leaving

But it had been in staying

It's one of those moments

It's one of those moments

When you know letting go is the right thing

But it doesn't make it any easier

When it takes every bit of strength you didn't know you had

To keep your feet planted firmly in the ground

It's the second you realize that you'll have to live off of memories now

And you can't tell if you should be grateful for them

Or wish you had never made them at all

It's one of those moments

It's one of those moments

When you wonder what you could have one to prevent this

You wonder what you did wrong

When you doubt you were ever worth it

And you're confused why they even stayed as long as they did

Because if you're not strong enough

Or special enough

Or smart enough

Or anything

If _you are nothing, _why did they stay

And what made them leave

It's one of those moments

It's one of those moments

When you realize freedom isn't what you want anymore

You just want them

It's one of those moments

Kurt heard the rain falling against the window panes in a multitude of hard slaps. The whole apartment was saturated with gray as the night's darkness permeated the small space. Come to think of it, the place was pretty much gray even in daylight. The dull, dim oppression that seemed to tinge the very air gave the spotless apartment the feeling of a prison. Or perhaps Kurt was just projecting his feelings onto everything.

Letting out a stifled yawn, Kurt winced as his stretching caused his every limb to ache.

He was tired and wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed next to Spencer. He wanted to curl up under the warm comforter and have Spencer encircle him in his arms and whisper sweet nothings into his ear until he fell asleep. But he knew that wasn't an option.

He felt the cut on his eyebrow still bleeding slightly from the book he had thrown at him earlier, and he knew it wasn't an option.

He felt the bruises up and down his spine from a year ago; they had never been given a chance to heal, and he knew it wasn't an option.

He felt the lump in his throat and the fear that was always in his heart and knew it wasn't an option.

It would never be an option because Spencer didn't love him. Love didn't hurt like this. Love didn't make you bleed and bruise. Sure, love made you cry and scream and fight and fuck and say stupid things, but it didn't make you need stitches or break your bones.

It had been a whole year of this shit, and Kurt was tired. Plain and simple; just bone tired. And if he ever wanted some sleep, he needed to leave, and never turn around; never look back.

His whole body ached and his mind was spinning so fast that the whole world seemed to spin with it; nothing made any sense.

In a rare moment of clarity though, Kurt knew, beyond a doubt, that he needed to escape while he could.

So before he could change his mind, he gathered his courage and slipped out of the apartment's door into the cold, dark corridor, while the beast slept in the bedroom.

He stepped into the pouring rain and took a deep breath.

He felt clean.

He felt something that he distantly remembered to be hope; he hadn't felt it in so long.

He looked at the dark street and let his eyes drift down the New York road to the lights of shops and restaurants. Like a moth to flame, he gravitated to the motion of the city that never sleeps.

He walked forward, and didn't look back.

**A/N: I know it's not much to go off of yet, but what do you think so far? Leave a review or PM me! I hope to have the first chapter up in less than a week!**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright, so I just got through chapter uno and I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with it. I also think that this story will just keep building up because I have a lot of ideas for later on. I hope you guys like the first chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**Chapter 1**

Kurt had wandered the bright night streets of New York in a little bit of a daze. After leaving their apartment-_the _apartment- Kurt was struck by the weight of his actions. He knew what he had meant by leaving: he wasn't going back. Not this time. It was terrifying and unknown and panic-inducing _and necessary. _

So, trying his best to blend in with the druggies and crazies that roamed the dark streets at three in the morning, Kurt had ducked into one of the many 24 hour diners that dotted the city, almost like small beacons to those in need of cheap coffee and invisibility.

_Now what? _Kurt wondered as his fingers twist themselves in and out of the hem of his shirt. His leg bounced with nerves and uncertainty that hadn't calmed even a fraction since he made his decision. _I can't go back. I don't deserve to be treated like that. _But even he could feel how hollow the words sounded in his own head, because he did deserve it, didn't he? He was wrong, broken, flawed. So yes, he must deserve the words Spencer hurled at him…and the books…and the punches…_I should go back…_

Letting a massive sigh rush from his lungs, Kurt let his eyes dart around the rather bland room in a vain attempt to distract himself. The small office had a slightly beaten up desk practically in the middle of the room, that stretched all the way to the left wall from where Kurt was sitting in what he assumed was the "guest" seat that sat facing the oversized hulking piece of wood. He wouldn't be surprised if he was the first ever "guest" to sit in the "guest" seat, considering how tiny the office was. One would have to squeeze through the narrow space to the right of the desk to get behind it. Once behind it, claustrophobia would likely set in. Almost immediately behind the wheeled, brown leather chair was a two door file cabinet that wasn't very tall but made up for it in length, stretching across the entire back wall (which was probably only about 6 feet…on a good day). If you were sitting at the desk , backed up to the wall on your right was another desk, fit against the first to make an "L" shape. The desks were nearly identical except that the second one against the wall had a hutch looming over it. The poor, old, abused hutch had a mismatched cherry stain to it that clashed horribly with the dull, demoralizing brown of the desks. However, majority of the hutch's surface was covered by books, big and small, manila folders, which spilled over onto the desks, and odd little trinkets such as magnifying glasses, framed photographs and even a small vase with fake flowers in it, trying it's absolute hardest to ease the depressive attitude in the room. Underneath the hutch, on desk #2, rested more pictures in colorful, unique frames, piles of post-it notes, renegade pen caps and all the standard office paraphernalia. The only windows in the small square of an office were covered by cheap, plastic blinds that accumulated dust like an aging diva accumulates plastic surgery. They led, not to the outside world, but to a rather striking view of an overused water cooler. They were floor to ceiling to the left of the big, solid wood door that was directly in front of whoever sat behind the desk. And that someone was Rachel Berry.

While the office was seemed pretty soul sucking to any normal individual, it actually served as a pretty useful tool in calming the usually over-exuberant Rachel into something acceptable for the work place.

While working at a record company was always thought of as an extremely glamorous career, their still had to be the plebeians who would do the grunt work. Enter Rachel. After graduating from NYADA almost 3 years ago, she quickly realized that the Broadway offers weren't going to come flowing in. However, she was fairly lucky considering the amount of kids who try to make it in the New York theatre industry. She was able to secure a string of small parts in some moderately successful shows, but no big break just yet. The gigs she _did_ land allowed her to pay all her bills except the biggest one: her school loans. In order to speed up the "getting out of debt" phase of her life, Rachel had begun to look for a simple job that allowed her to work only mornings and leave early enough that they never interfered with any kind of rehearsal she might have. Naturally drawn to all things theatre of music related, Rachel had jumped at this small position for Lightning Records, or LR. While all she did was clean up old files and condense them down to the bare necessities, she took the rather boring and demeaning job with a sense of appreciation that Rachel Berry: High School Edition, would have never expressed. She even smiled through the notes she took at the higher ups meetings, and the coffee runs she made for her "superiors"…which was pretty much everyone but the interns, and even they could get cocky.

The few times that Kurt had come to visit her, she had been largely ignored by all of her co-workers unless they were asking her for coffee or if she would "be a dear" and make some copies. Kurt hadn't liked seeing people treat his best friend like a nobody, but she just smiled and nodded, letting it roll off her back like water on a duck. After all, she _was _an actress.

_It's probably a good thing I had visited when I did, _Kurt though errantly as he switched to tapping his other foot impatiently, _it's probably the only reason they let me in the building. _Spencer hadn't really liked Kurt going out to see friends…or at all really…

Shaking his head furiously, Kurt tried to shake the thoughts from his head. He didn't need them right now. _I should go back. I can't go back…_

For what felt like-and may very well have been-the hundredth time, Kurt glanced at the clock on the back wall of the office, opposite him. It just seemed to tick slower and slower…and slower…and….slower….

Hopping up, Kurt leaned over the desk and only flinched a little from the ever-present bruises on his body while checking the desk calendar covered in Rachel's neat, loopy scrawl. Penciled in on today was a meeting she was taking notes at from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. _So that's where she is, _Kurt thought. Glancing at the clock yet again, it read 8:14. _Great… _

Re-crossing his long legs, Kurt exhaustedly sunk into the uncomfortable chair to wait for his friends return.

*~Line Break~*

It wasn't a bad day. Maybe a little boring, but when were Blaine's days _not _at least a little boring. Setting his coffee cup down on his desk, Blaine gathered a couple of files off of his desk and stood up, straightening his deep purple tie. _I should have worn a bowtie like normal, _he thought with a small grimace on his face as he toyed with the long, thin strip of fabric around his neck.

He loosened the tie a little bit and exited his spacious office, still clutching the files underneath his right arm.

He was actually sort of sad about making his trip down a few floors. He was supposed to hand these files over to be cleaned out and condensed since they had effectively been "benched" or put on the back burner for a while. Some of his bosses and partners were having a hard time generating interest in a couple bands at the moment and had outvoted him to put their deals on hold. It hurt his heart to see these kids-truly talented kids- dreams and careers be put in limbo essentially. But, as a scout, Blaine's opinions were really only valued when he pointed his finger at an unsigned act and said, "They have what it takes. They have _it_." People trusted Blaine when it came to finding that illusive "it" factor in people or groups, but they didn't really invest very much trust in him once the band was signed. In fact, he was pretty sure that they only involved him in the process at all because often the new musicians would become comfortable with Blaine, since he was the first one out of the team they met. They met, they talked, and they almost always bonded. After all, Blaine's passion was music just like them. It was just that, somehow, Blaine had fallen into the business side of things instead of the performance side.

…Regrettably…

_But, hey, whatever pleases pops, right? _Blaine couldn't keep himself from rolling his eyes at least a little. _As if he's ever pleased with me._

So, it was with a heavy heart that Blaine punched the elevator button and selected a floor 4 below to pay Rachel Berry a visit. She had started about 2 years ago, and they had hit it off immediately, finding common interests in music, acting and performing. She was a little zany, but she had a heart of gold that couldn't be denied. He always looked forward to seeing Rachel. She was one of the few people she actually _liked _at this company, instead of merely tolerated. Therefore, every time Blaine was given the unsavory task of subtly crushing some hopefuls hope and dreams by condensing, cleaning, or shredding their file, he went straight to Rachel.

The doors to the elevator slid open noiselessly so Blaine stepped out equally as silent, only occasionally nodding at some familiar faces, but mainly keeping his eyes straight ahead. Finally, he reached Rachel's small, parody of an office and walked straight in through the already open door.

However, his eyes didn't land on a short brunette with a slightly large nose. No, his eyes landed on the single most beautiful creature he had ever seen. He actually had to fight the urge not to pinch himself and check whether or not he was dreaming; it was bad enough he was already staring with his mouth hanging open just a tad.

The man seemed to notice that he wasn't alone anymore and incredible orbs of shifting color flashed up to meet his stunned gaze. And then the mystery man flinched.

And then Blaine realized the cut just about his eyebrow, and the deep purple half-moons under his eyes, and the startlingly empty expression on his face that was only stained with a small trace of fear and confusion, as if he was just too tired to feel anymore.

"Hello," Blaine said softly, rooted in the doorway.

The mystery man just stared back for a few moments, before blinking suddenly and nodding a silent and quick greeting. His eyes immediately sunk down towards the floor as he rolled the hem of his shirt between his thumb and index finger. He was dressed rather smartly in a navy blue button down and black skinny jeans. He was wearing black boots that rose all the way to his knees, and a black vest that hugged his incredibly slender frame. However, it looked a little rumpled, like he had slept in it, or had at least been wearing it for longer than a day.

"Do you know where Rachel is?" Blaine asked, trying his luck at conversation with an unwilling partner. "I have some files for her." He explained, motioning to the folders still trapped underneath his right arm.

Mystery man's eyes flickered up to Blaine's as he quietly answered, "She's at a meeting until 9," and sharply shrugged to indicate he knew nothing more.

"Oh…well," Blaine faltered a little bit, not ready to leave this gorgeous man's presence just yet, because A. he was gorgeous and B. he looked sort of sad. "I guess I'll just leave these here…" he trailed off as he took the one step necessary to be standing directly in front of the desk and place his small stack on top of the beaten up desk. He didn't miss how the slender man seemed to shrink back into his seat as Blaine stepped closer to his perch in the guest chair.

Casting a worried and still slightly awestruck glance at the man, Blaine nodded lightly only to receive an identical nod from him. He stepped over to the door before giving in to whatever it was that was pulling him to this man.

He turned back around to see the back of the chestnut haired boy's head. Taking a deep breath he simply asked, "Are you okay?"

The man jumped about a mile into the air before whirling around, obviously shocked that some curly headed man in a purple tie was talking to him. He stared openly at Blaine, brow furrowed in confusion, as if he had never been asked this question before.

"You just seem a little sad," Blaine supplied, since the other man didn't seem like he was going to talk.

"I'm…" he said softly, eyes detaching themselves from Blaine's hazel pair and searching around the room, incredibly lost. He sucked in a breath, slow and steady, as if he were incredibly bone tired.

To Blaine's utter surprise though, those blue-green-gray eyes welled up with tears in a split-second, spilling down the beautiful man's face in torrents. The man bit his bottom lip harshly to keep the sobs in, yet his entire lithe frame shook with the emotions intensity and the retention of it.

Slowly, keeping in mind how jumpy and emotionally frazzled the man seemed to be, Blaine steady advanced toward the intriguing creature and dropped down onto his knees, so that he ended up around the same height as the sitting man.

He felt like extending the comfort of physical contact would not be appreciated in this instance, so he just knelt by his side and kept his eyes on the man's face.

"I'm…_scared!" _The man finally choked out in a horrified whisper.

Without looking away, Blaine extended one of his legs out as far as it would go and-thanking his lucky stars that this office really was so small-he hooked the corner of the door with his toe. Flexing his food a tad, the closed the door to the cubby-hole office quietly. The crying man didn't even seem to notice.

"I'm, I'm so _confused!_" he whispered again, "so, so, fucking confused!"

"About what?" Blaine asked cautiously, not wanting to dredge up something painful and cause the man any more pain than he was already obviously in.

"I don't know!" he cried, still in a broken hush, and throwing his hand up in surrender sort of gesture.

Blaine just remained on his knees for lack of a better plan and unwillingness-for whatever reason- to leave this man's side.

"I'm tired of the pain…" the man breathed, sobs subsiding some as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly.

"Tired of the confusion?" Blaine asked with nothing but curiosity in his gentle voice.

The turbulent eyes opened to reveal an open gaze from the mystery man. He stared unwaveringly into Blaine's eyes with an incredible intensity that was so sure and strong that it was borderline calming. He seemed to be searching for something. Blaine just returned the gaze, allowing the man to find what he needed, and appreciating the beauty of not only this man's face, but the soul that was pouring out through his eyes. The phrase "Kindred Spirits" came to mind.

As if coming to a conclusion or realization, the man suddenly laughed a little soft, barking laugh and began wiping his eyes clear of tears. "Yeah," he breathed out on a sigh, "tired of that too."

Blaine smiled a small, hesitant kind of smile that was filled with as much warmth and encouragement as he possibly could fit into it.

"I swear, I usually make a better first impression," the slender man said shyly, eyes struggling to hold consistent eye contact, but trying none the less.

"Nonsense!" Blaine joked, cranking up his smile a few more watts, "You are perfectly lovely company."

The mystery man just quirked a brow in question until Blaine finally caved with a little breathy laugh. "Okay, I'll admit; it was…unorthodox,"

To this, the glasz eyed man just nodded a slightly amused shake of the head as he echoed the sentiment of, "unorthodox indeed."

They felt their eyes catch and hold steadfast. After a few surprisingly comfortable moments of gazing, Blaine cleared his throat and raised his hand up to shake. "I'm Blaine,"

Looking hesitantly at the extended hand, he replied, "I'm-"

"Kurt?"

Rachel stood with wide eyes in the door way, arms full of books and folders. Upon seeing Kurt's battered face lift up to the sound of her voice, she dropped all of those books and folders with a loud thump.

"Kurt?" she asked again, edging her way into the office, eyes fixed on his cut eyebrow with fright, "what happened?" Finally, she snapped out of it and moved forward, hands outstretched and hands cupping Kurt's face tenderly, trying to angle it this way and that to make sure he didn't have any other injuries. However, as soon as he hands got too close, Kurt flinched back violently, bringing his hands up to cover his face. The tiny brunette woman instantly froze with a look of surprise etched on her face.

Kurt took in Rachel's stunned and confused expression and saw Blaine's concerned look. Then he remembered the stranger named Blaine's question: "Are you okay?" Kurt felt the tears instantly flood his eyes all over again.

_I should go back. I can't go back…_

And Rachel knew that something was very wrong.

**A/N: What do you think so far? I know it may be a little slow to start out with, but I want to make sure that I set things up thoroughly and correctly. As always, please review or PM me! And if you celebrate Thanksgiving then I hope you have a good one!**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey everybody! Sorry for the wait! Between, my actual job and writers block, it's been a little difficult to pen anything that's not utter crap. I hope you like it though! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee…otherwise Klaine would still be going strong (fingers crossed for the Christmas episode!)**

**Chapter 2**

"Blaine," Rachel spoke softly, brown eyes shifting to the waiting man, "can you give us some privacy?" Her eyes were wide and scared as she continued to send glances back towards Kurt, who had pulled his incredibly thin, long legs up into the seat and buried his face directly into his knees, curling in on himself and trying his absolute hardest to keep the world away.

"Sure," Blaine said when he finally found his voice, eyes finally leaving the beautiful man to rest on his coworker. "Let me know if you need anything," he offered quietly as he slowly and softly opened the door to her office. He desperately wanted to say something like _It was nice to meet you_, or _I'm here if you need me_, but he didn't even know this man and he didn't know how to make things better. At the very most he could just exit quietly, and not make things any worse. So Blaine slipped out of the door to allow them a moment.

*~Line Break~*

Rachel wasn't exactly sure how to start, so she merely waited a good minute or two to see if Kurt had any ideas. After it became abundantly clear that he wasn't going to breach their barrier of silence, she perched herself on the edge of her desk, facing Kurt, still afraid to touch the trembling boy.

"Kurt?" she tried softly; an accomplishment in and of itself for Rachel Berry.

When that elicited no response she said his name again, with more force.

Kurt's head lifted cautiously, as if he wasn't sure he would still be in the office after hiding in his knees. His blue eyes were ringed in red and had a dangerous shine of tears in them that threatened to fall at a moment's notice.

"Kurt, what happened?" Rachel tried again, hoping her question would gain an answer this time around.

Inside Kurt's head, a war raged on; a war that he had been fighting for nearly 2 years now. When things with Spencer had started to get bad, Kurt knew immediately that he was in trouble. He had entertained the idea of leaving many times, but he never remotely dreamed of putting the plan into action. He couldn't leave Spencer; not unless he wanted to be alone for the rest of his life. Spencer was the only person who even came close to wanting him around.

But there was just so much _pain, _and Kurt didn't know how much more he could take. So now, here he was, in Rachel's office, effectively leaving his boyfriend. He should have been expecting the questions, really, he should have, but for whatever reason, he hadn't really thought that far.

Taking a deep breath, and ripping himself forcibly from his thoughts, Kurt decided it was now or never. He had to take the plunge and deal with whatever was to come. "Spencer." He answered, his voice barely audible. He felt a shiver run down his spine at merely uttering the name.

Rachel's large eyes became even bigger as her mouth fell open with a small click. It appeared as though her brain was experiencing some technical difficulties.

Wordlessly, she pointed to her own eyebrow, silently asking about the cut just above his own. Kurt just nodded. "Book."

"Rachel," Kurt managed to choke out through the onslaught of fresh tears, "I-I…I can't go back!" His eyes widened in fear and realization as the words finally hit home. Stormy blue eyes looked up with such heartbreakingly misplaced hope that Rachel wanted to cry and scream to the universe how unfair this all was.

"Can I?" Kurt asked with such wonder and even a hint of hope in his shaky voice.

And Rachel's heart broke. Because what do you say to that? How do you pull the last shred of hope out from under a person who is doing all they can to hold on to something, _anything. _How do you deny that person that you love the one thing they are grappling for? But this hope of his, this desire to return to a man who only loved him through lies, was the product of a sick mind. No, not a sick mind, but a broken train of thought. A missing sense of self-worth. It was at this moment that Rachel realized just how deeply Spencer had gotten under Kurt's skin.

_That bastard… _the tiny brunette thought in an uncharacteristic burst of profanity.

"Kurt?" she asked suddenly, successfully laying a hand on Kurt's shoulder with a somewhat minimal flinch from the slender man who sat quaking underneath her touch, "how long?" She paused as her voice broke, trying with all of her might to shove the tears down, "Kurt, how long has this been going on?"

Kurt could feel his own face cloud over. "Almost…2 years now…" his whisper was hardly heard in the silent office.

"Wha-2 years? 2 years?!" Rachel stood up straight, hands burying themselves in her hair as her head involuntarily began to shake itself back in forth in denial.

_No, no, no, that can't be right, _she tried in vain to assure herself. 2 years? 2 years was a long time. 2 years was more than half of their nearly 3 year relationship. So much could happen in 2 years. But the part that hurt Rachel the most was that she was there. She should have noticed sooner what was going on. Kurt's odd and unexpected isolation. How he slowly began to see everyone less and less over the months before he just became a memory of a friend to most of them. The way he stopped going home for the holidays and no longer even called his father. Rachel realized how painfully ignorant she was of the happening in Kurt's life over the past 2 years. She realized that, besides the occasional coffee Kurt would share with her at her office, she had hardly seen her best friend over the last couple years. So now she looked at him. She saw his usually slender frame, sharper and bonier than she had ever seen him before. He was an entirely new level of pale, with the exception of the bruises that seemed to peak out from nearly every border of clothes and skin. His shoulders curved inward, as if he was trying to protect himself, and his ever confident personality was nowhere to be seen in the now withering man in front of her.

_2 years? 2 years?! Well…not a day more._

"First things first," Rachel finally spoke, snapping out of her internal monologue as she called on all her acting experience to form some sort of composure; she needed to keep her head on straight so she could figure out how to help, "you're going to stay with me. You aren't going back there."

"Oh, Rachel, no, you don't need to do that, really, I'll be fine," Kurt hurriedly assure, already standing on his too-thin legs and heading for the door with a brittle smile placed upon his lips. "Thanks for listening, but that's really all I needed. See you around." And with that, Kurt opened the door and slipped out only to be followed by a furious and disbelieving woman directly on his heels.

"Kurt!" Rachel called, loud enough to get his attention and a few other people who were milling around the cubicles. Kurt flinched at the volume but pivoted around to timidly face Rachel.

"You. Are . _Not. _Going. Back. There." She emphasized each word dangerously, giving him her _I mean business _glare.

"Rachel?" a smooth voice cautioned somewhat shyly from behind. Rachel swung around to see Blaine sheepishly stepping away from the water cooler where he had apparently been loitering after leaving her office.

Kurt's eyes whipped up from where they had been scrutinizing his shoes. He couldn't help being curious of the rather kind and handsome stranger whose name was Blaine. _Snap out of it! _Kurt shook his head to rid his thoughts of the hazel eyed man, who was starting to speak again.

"If you want to take the rest of the day off, I can just tell anyone who asks that you're running an errand for me." His eyes were wide and compassionate; desperately trying to offer some sort of help in what appeared to be a rather serious situation.

_It's not even your business, _his mind chastised him. However, one more glance at the blue-eyed beauty, and he really didn't care if it was his business or not; he needed to help. He didn't know why, and he didn't care; he just needed to make him smile again.

"Really?" Rachel questioned needlessly; she knew that if Blaine said it, he meant it.

"Sure," he shrugged, chancing a glance at the mystery man he now knew was named Kurt. To his surprise, the other man's eyes flicked up to take their own peek. He stared curiously at Blaine for a moment, as if he were trying to figure him out. Blaine just returned the eye contact and offered a shy smile, feeling absolutely ridiculous for the sudden timid behavior this man seemed to make him adopt. The corners of Kurt's pale lips turned up just the slightest bit, causing Blaine's smile to widen a little; anticipating the pale beauty's smile.

So caught up in the other man, Blaine didn't even realize that Rachel had walked over to him until she pressed a quick, thankful kiss to his cheek. He felt an embarrassing blush lightly stain his cheeks at the action as Kurt's eyes quickly sunk down to the floor.

"Thank you," Rachel said quietly, eyes intent on Blaine's, trying to convey the importance of his generosity and just how much it was appreciated.

Blaine unwillingly tore his eyes away from Kurt and smiled gently at Rachel. "It's nothing Rachel, really."

"No, Blaine, it's something. Trust me."

Seeing the seriousness in her eyes, Blaine just nodded, deciding to accept her thanks with no further complaint. _What's going on? _Blaine wondered for perhaps the thousands time in the past half hour.

Seeing that all was settled, Rachel just nodded her head and walked over to Kurt, instantly gripping his shaking hands. "Kurt," she said in a completely new kind of voice; it was kind and patient and…maternal? "I'm going to grab my purse and keys and then we're going to go back to my place, okay?"

Kurt wanted to argue; tell Rachel that he was fine and that he didn't need her to worry. But his fight had been beaten out of him somewhere along the road, and though he knew it still resided somewhere in him, he hadn't been able to find it for quite some time now.

"Okay," he whispered, trying his hardest to relax, but quickly finding it to be a fruitless venture.

Rachel trotted back to her office, diving in to retrieve her things and anything she thought might be of some importance.

Kurt's eyes followed Rachel only to be distracted by the curly headed man, _still _standing there, as if was unsure of what to do next.

Summoning all of his courage, Kurt gently spoke up. "It was nice meeting you Blaine."

Blaine's eyes immediately snapped over to Kurt as the first syllable left his lips. By the time his name had crossed Kurt's lips, he felt his heart doing funny things inside of his chest. He wasn't sure whether he should be concerned or revel in it.

"The pleasure was all mine Kurt." Blaine replied, trying to repress the shiver that saying Kurt's name for the first time sent through him. _This is ridiculous, _Blaine grumbled in his head. Kurt was obviously hurting right now, if the bruises on his face and the crying and the flinching hadn't been big enough indicators. _Plus, _Blaine tried to reason to himself, _I don't even know him! _

The problem with trying to argue this point with himself, was that it held no validity; not for Blaine Anderson. As a talent scout, he was used to pinpointing people with the "it" factor. He had a natural gift for it that had only been honed and improved through all of his practice. So, when he said he didn't even know Kurt, that was true, but it didn't matter, because he could _sense _it. Kurt had that "it" factor. Not necessarily one of fame and fortune, but one that Blaine had never felt before. Kurt was _special. _He was different. There was something about Kurt that was pulling Blaine in, and although he knew it was more logical to dig his heels in and resist, Blaine found himself wondering what it would feel like to just let himself be pulled completely in.

So as Rachel finally stepped out of her office, arms laden with files and a purse slung over her shoulder and began leading Kurt away, Blaine knew that things were far from over.

**A/N: Before I forget, I wanted to tell any of you who might be reading 'In your Eyes' that I hope to have a new chapter up with in the next couple of days! Anywho, what did you think? Please, please, review or send me a PM (don't be shy)! Now, I'm going to go to bed! Hallelujah!**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm so, so freaking sorry you guys! It's been way too long and I feel really bad about it! But, some good news: This week is my final week of semester and then I'm off for a few weeks! I even have like, a week and a half off of school **_**and **_**work because I'm going out of town (but don't worry, I still plan on writing during vacation!) ! This chapter is definitely the longest to date, so I hope that sort of makes up for the ridiculous wait! I really hope you like it! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee.**

**Chapter 3**

Rachel's apartment was perhaps the exact embodiment of the girl herself. It was adorned in a deep rich pink in every little nook and cranny, with splashes of lighter pink thrown here and there in what Rachel probably assumed was refreshing and balancing, when in reality, it just added yet another pink to the storm brewing in her apartment. However, it wasn't too bad with the pale cream colored walls that were found throughout the entire apartment that contrasted beautifully with the deep, dark wood accents. The place was roughly the same size as Kurt had been living in with Spencer, but it was much cleaner and exuded a sort of warmth. Perhaps this was just Kurt's projection onto his surrounding as he automatically made comparisons between Rachel's home and his old one. _Spencer's home…_

He saw the pictures that decorated Rachel's shelves: their glee club, prom, first day at NYADA, graduation, her dads' with proud arms around her shoulders, smiling big white grins. It was all so…comfortable.

Kurt hadn't been allowed to put up any pictures of his friends or family. It actually wasn't that bad, since he wasn't allowed to see his friends or family either; seeing their smiling faces all around him from various happy memories would be too depressing.

Kurt saw the personal flairs that signified this apartment as Rachel's. The vases filled with vibrant flowers, the magnets on the refrigerator, the flannel throw that was carefully folded over the back of the incredibly squishy looking couch. Kurt had had to keep all of his knick knacks in boxes in the back of their closet.

All the things that Kurt had come to accept as ordinary seemed so sad and colorless in this world. For the first time, Kurt had a sense that perhaps he really had been wronged; he wasn't just making it up in his head.

While Kurt stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room, eyeing the coffee table's coasters with far too much interest, Rachel finally circled back around to the couch after dropping her purse and coat off in her bedroom. Plopping down in a heap, she was almost completely consumed by the couch, which was, in fact, just as incredibly squishy as it looked. She patted the space next to her and gave Kurt her big pleading eyes, praying that they would still work after all this time.

Kurt silently and stiffly settled himself on the edge of the couch, unwilling to sink into it and relax.

"Kurt," Rachel began, her voice quiet yet steady, as she studied her folded hands in her lap, "we need to talk about this." Her eyes finally drew themselves up to find Kurt's blue bewildered gaze.

"We did." Kurt stated quietly, honestly a little confused as to what all Rachel wanted to know. Mainly, however, he just didn't want to share the story; he didn't know if he had it in him.

Rachel nodded slowly, oddly patient, a trait rarely expressed in the exuberant brunette. "Kurt…I need to know what sort of things he did to you. I need to know if we should press charges…" she kept her eyes fixed on Kurt's and used a measured, unwaveringly sure voice to convey her message.

However, it didn't stop a shiver from running directly through Kurt's heart at the mention of legal action. "No!" he blurted quickly, becoming impossibly _more _rigid. "No, no, we don't need to-I mean it wasn't-we really-just…_please!_" he finally choked out, looking as though he was ready to drop to his knees and beg. "Please Rachel, please, we can't press charges!" Those pesky tears began sliding down his face yet again, but he was too scared shitless to care about some drops of moisture dripping off of his chin.

"Why can't we press charges?" Rachel asked, her voice still calm and collected as she eyed him curiously.

Making an attempt at a deep, cleansing breath, Kurt only choked a little and was able to calm his trembling a tiny bit. "Rachel…Spencer could…I just don't want to make him angry…" he cast his eyes downward into his lap as he tangled and untangled his fingers nervously.

Rachel just sat silently, trying to process those words. It was simply too much information in such a seemingly short, harmless sentence.

"He…" Kurt spoke after a few quiet minutes. His voice was tentative and he couldn't have lifted his eyes even if he had wanted to. "Spencer controlled…everything." He rested his head in his hands and allowed his fingers to weave themselves into his silky locks that were starting to droop after his long night out.

Heaving yet another sigh, Kurt continued in an almost whisper. "He controlled what I wore, where I went, what I did, who I saw, what I ate…everything…" He suddenly looked up with big, apologetic eyes that were swimming with unshed tears. "He didn't like me hanging out with my friends or family, so I just…stopped. The only reason I was able to have coffee with you once or twice a month was because he wanted to keep up appearances. He didn't want anyone getting suspicious and coming to the apartment, asking questions."

Rachel remained still, scared that if she so much as moved, Kurt would clam up again. She simply let him have the floor. Internally, Rachel was flipping through her past interactions with Kurt over the last 3 years. She saw the way the light in his expressive eyes had dimmed gradually. She realized the fidgety hands on the sleeve of his coffee cup, worrying the edges as the nervously glanced between his watch, the door, his lap, and finally, Rachel herself. It had been like this for years. _How did I _not _catch on to this? _Rachel wondered frantically, careful to keep her face patient, attentive, and neutral.

"I had strict curfews as to when I could be out of the house," Kurt continued, his voice shaky and scared filled with tears, just waiting to fall, "usually, I was only allowed to leave for work, but if I was home even a _minute _after 6…" Kurt trailed off as his tears finally spilled over.

"I got to keep my clothes, but that's only because of my job at Vogue." At Rachel's curious glance, Kurt explained, "it would look strange to show up to a fashion magazine…unfashionable." Rachel made a small "o" with her mouth and nodded to confirm her understanding.

Kurt seamed to flounder on examples after that, obviously holding in so much more, but not quite willing to discuss them yet.

"I-" but he broke off with a wince, as if the sound of his own voice was too loud or painful for him to hear. "Can…c-can I be done now?" he asked, sounding so much like a scared little child that Rachel found herself nodding sympathetically. Without thinking about it, Rachel stretched her arms around her too thin friend-assuming that Spencer was to blame for this as well- and held on through his flinch. After a solid minute, Kurt gently, cautiously raised his arms up to wrap around Rachel, and squeezed delicately, as if the action of a hug was entirely foreign to him.

And that was just heart breaking.

*~Line Break~*

_What am I doing? This is completely ridiculous! _Kurt though as he clutched a tray with two coffees in it, feeling the elevator begin to rise slowly.

If Kurt had thought staying with Rachel would have been weird, he hadn't thought about how strange it would be to be in her apartment when she _wasn't _there. The petite woman had skipped out of the apartment about a quarter to 7, reassuring Kurt that if he needed her for anything, all he had to do was call.

And then all was quiet. And unfamiliar. And pink.

Kurt had meandered around the house, taking in every little detail, and even tiding up the kitchen a bit. He didn't really feel like watching TV, or reading one of the books from Rachel's pitifully small library, that consisted of purely memoirs and biographies from great Broadway performers. He felt like getting out, and breathing some "fresh" New York air. And then he realized he _could_. When the shock wore off, and he could finally move his aching limbs again, he went over to Rachel's guest room, which was apparently _his _room now. Thankful that she was going to be a future hoarder, and never threw anything out, Kurt uncovered an old pair of dark wash skinny jeans from what felt like a very long time ago, and a white and maroon checked shirt. He noted how the once snug skinny jeans were a little too big now, and the shirt was similarly baggy; clinging onto his shoulders desperately.

He had left them here about a year ago. Spencer had gone on a business trip, which was incredibly rare. At Rachel's insistence, Kurt had taken a chance and stayed the night, recreating the fun they had had at many high school sleep overs. However, when morning finally rolled around, the sun was much lower in the sky than anticipated. The combination of junk food and watching rom-coms until 4 a.m. resulted in their tired asses finally awakening well after noon. In his panic, Kurt had left Rachel's house in his pajamas, completely forgetting about his clothes from the day beforehand, praying to the God he didn't belief in that Spencer wouldn't be home yet.

He was. That night had been…bad…

Kurt had shook his head harshly and made his way to the nearest coffee shop, ordering three coffees to go. He had surprised Rachel with her favorite: White Chocolate Mocha, and had been pleasantly surprised when she pleaded with him to sit down for a few minutes and chat.

"'We have some serious catching up to do!" she reasoned, with big, doe-like eyes. Kurt relented after she assured him that her job only took about 1% of her brain's concentration and attention.

20 minutes later, Rachel's coffee demolished in her haste to pump as much caffeine into her blood stream as possible, Kurt found himself shyly asking where Blaine's office was.

Rachel arched a brow questioningly, and pursed her lips, obviously asking for an explanation. Kurt was comforted to know that even after all these years, they could still read each other like books.

"It's just…he was very nice to me yesterday…a-and, I feel like I should thank him." Kurt offered, vaguely gesturing to the extra coffee sitting, untouched, in the tray.

Rachel nodded slowly, still a little unsure. Wondering why Kurt was making such an effort to interact with someone when he flinched at nearly every moving thing within a 5 foot radius.

"He's four floors up. When the elevator opens, there will be a small hallway. Walk to the end of it and it opens up into a big room with tons of cubicles. His office is directly on the other side of that room. You'll be able to see it over the tops of the cubies."

And so, now here he was, stepping off the elevator and wondering why a _record company, _a place that specialized in making top selling tracks, had such atrocious elevator music. Following Rachel's instructions, Kurt soon found himself staring straight across a wide expanse of painfully white cubicles, all inhabited by someone scribbling away or typing like mad. He also found that he could easily see over the cubicles into an office with a glass front and open blinds, much like Rachel's. Except there was actually room to move and breathe in it. At the desk, he saw a curly head of dark silk bent over a stack of work, occasionally tilting to clear the kink from his neck.

Taking a deep breath, Kurt walked the outskirts of the large room until he was standing in front of Blaine's door. _I'm just being polite, _Kurt tried to reason, eyeing his own half empty coffee in his right hand, and the still steaming hot Medium Drip in his left hand, desperately trying to ignore the irregular thumps of his heart.

Kurt awkwardly knocked on the back of the glass door with the back of his hand. Blaine's head slowly rose, until his eyes found the slender man standing nervously on the other side of the door. Those hazel orbs widened almost comically as he hurriedly ran a hand through his curls and straightened his bow tie, and then promptly blushed scarlet when he remembered that Kurt could clearly see him through the glass door.

He shot up suddenly, and opened the door for the chestnut haired man, a silly smile on his face.

"H-hi, Kurt," Blaine greeted a little breathlessly, motioning for Kurt to enter his office.

"Hey," Kurt replied shyly, stepping in and gently lowering himself into the guest chair opposite the desk.

He swiftly glanced around the office, trying to take in the much more spacious room. It was set up like Rachel's apart from the second desk, whereas Blaine only had one. It was neat and tidy and rather impersonal. There were only a few knickknacks here and there, but not a single picture, Kurt noted curiously. A rubix cube sat, unfinished, beside Blaine's keyboard, along with a few goofy doodles on post-it notes that dotted the rim of his computer's monitor. The desk was a beautiful almost reddish wood color that would catch anyone's eye if they were passing by the glass front room. All the chairs, even the two meant for guests, were dark leather with the small golden studs along the edges. The pale beige walls were calming and contrasted nicely with the intense white on white color scheme right outside his door, giving the office an almost warm and inviting feel. The biggest difference between Blaine and Rachel's offices, besides the obvious size difference, was the fact that the entire wall behind Blaine's desk was also made of glass, providing an absolutely stunning view of the Big Apple from up high.

"So," Blaine began, his voice cracking only a little with nerves from where he sat behind his desk, "what can I do you for?" he said a little too enthusiastically. _Really? _He mentally chastised himself, _what can I do you for? Is that really the best I could come up with? I sound like a waiter!_

Kurt didn't seem to notice anything strange about Blaine's words. Possibly because he was too busy freaking out inside, fingers bending the edges of the sleeve around his Styrofoam coffee cup. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure that coming here had been a good idea. I mean, sure, Blaine didn't seem to mind that Kurt was interrupting his work day, but it didn't mean anything more than the fact that Blaine was a very kind, patient, friendly person, something Kurt had already deduced about the slightly shorter man. _What if he thinks I'm stalking him or something? _Kurt's worrisome mind asked, _What if he thinks I'm obnoxious…or weird…a freak…yeah, he probably thinks I'm a freak. _Kurt's mind had been conditioned to make these kinds of conclusions over the last few years. He knew that it was Spencer who had gotten him started on this self-deprecating path, but who was to say that he had been wrong? Perhaps, as Rachel had stated over and over the night before, Spencer _was _a cruel, manipulative dick. Maybe he _was _abusive. And, yes, maybe he was a complete and total bastard. But Spencer wasn't stupid; he knew a little something about everything. He was one of those people that was right about pretty much everything. So, it only made sense that he was right about Kurt's worthlessness too, Kurt reasoned.

Dragging his thoughts away from his…ex? _Is that what he is now? _Kurt suddenly inquired. Deciding to come back to that, Kurt reminded himself of why he _did _come, why he was currently sitting across from this smiling man. He wasn't sure why, but this Blaine guy felt…safe? Well, maybe Kurt didn't completely trust him yet, but he felt the kindness radiating out of this man directly from his heart. Blaine was one of those individuals that just wanted to be his absolute best every minute of every day. The only scary thing about Blaine was the strange pull he felt towards him. Kurt didn't know why, but he just wanted to bask in his presence again. Maybe it was because genuine kindness had been in short supply in Kurt's life for so long now. Maybe it was because Blaine had gorgeous hazel eyes and hair that just made Kurt want to play wi-_Whoa! So not appropriate! _Kurt shook his head a little to bring himself back to reality, finally answering Blaine's question.

"Um…I just uh, j-just wanted to thank you for…uh, well, being so nice yesterday. I uh-" he picked up the Medium Drip meant for Blaine, leaned across the small expanse between the chair and desk, and set it lightly on the desk in front of the wide-eyed talent scout, "I got you some coffee…to uh…say thank you." He watched anxiously as Blaine slowly lifted the cup to his lips and took an experimental sip. "I just went out on a limb and guessed. I-I thought, maybe you would like a Medium Drip. Is that weird? Oh God, it's weird, isn't it? You don't have to drink it if y-"

"Medium Drip is my favorite." Blaine interrupted Kurt's nervous rambling with a sort of awestruck smile, almost like he didn't quite believe that the pale man sitting across from him was real. "Thank you," he smiled widely, which only made taking another sip of the delicious brew a little difficult.

Kurt's eyes became wide at the display of manners. _You'd think he'd never been thanked, _Blaine immediately thought.

"You're welcome," Kurt replied firmly, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as his eyes met and actually managed to hold contact with Blaine.

No words were exchanged in the quiet office as their eyes searched the other's, familiarizing themselves with the exact shades and hues of the opposite's eyes.

After a few rather comfortable seconds, Kurt cleared his throat and stood on substantially less shaky legs. "Well, t-thanks again. I'll let you get back to work."

Shooting up out of his chair, Blaine blurted, "Actually, I could use a little break from work, and I wouldn't mind some company?" it came out as more of a question, as Blaine rubbed the back of his neck nervously with one hand and held the coffee in his other.

"Oh." Kurt answered, looking incredibly similar to a deer caught in headlights. Very slowly, that same hint of a smile that Blaine was beginning to get addicted to, appeared on Kurt's lips and he sank back down into the chair he had occupied early, except this time, he was much more relaxed. Noticing how relaxed and comfortable he felt ironically made Kurt tense up just a little. He wasn't used to feeling _at ease_. It was a tad bit alarming, even a little uncomfortable…in the most pleasant kind of way.

"So," Blaine began, sensing that Kurt wasn't quite comfortable enough starting the conversation, "tell me something about yourself."

"Um…well, there really isn't much to tell. I'm not very interesting…" Kurt murmured quietly, wishing for all the world that he was special.

"I really doubt that," Blaine said, ducking his head to hide the light blush that spread across his cheeks. "What do you like to do? Hobbies? Passions?"

Kurt honestly had to think about it some. He hadn't been asked what he liked in a long time. In a voice that sounded borderline unsure, he cautiously answered, "Well, I like reading," that one he knew for sure. He had done a lot of reading since basically finding himself on house arrest. He could read fiction and enter a world where not everything hurt and people loved the right way or travelled to exotic lands. Or he could read non-fiction- biographies, memoirs, even textbooks- and feel like the world was happening around him, almost like he was still a part of it.

"Favorite book?" Blaine asked, still sipping his coffee and leaning forward in his chair.

"Oh, wow, um…probably Wuthering Heights. I know it's a total sappy classic, but I guess I just like how everything ends up how it's supposed to, even if it's not happy, you know? I'm probably not even making sense…"

"You like how such a convoluted, messy, perfectly imperfect love can seem real. You like the ending because it makes you feel like this could really happen; people can really love that much and be that stupid." Blaine supplied simply, as if it were completely obvious.

"Y-yeah! That's…exactly it." Kurt's eyes were wide with unabashed astonishment, completely amazed that Blaine had understood what Kurt himself couldn't even put into words.

Blaine just grinned back and nodded in approval. "So, what else do you like to do?" He asked his previous question again, fishing for more information on this enigmatic man who was proving to be pretty wonderful so far.

"I like fashion. I work at Vogue" Kurt answered, even more at ease now, and finding an answer a little quicker. Trying desperately to remember who he was and what made him…him.

"Wow, Vogue, that's all kinds of impressive," Blaine gushed, obviously meaning what he said about being impressed. He took a sip from his almost empty coffee cup and continued with, "Well, two for two so far." Blaine complimented.

Kurt just quirked an eyebrow questioningly, wondering what the dark brunette haired man was referring to.

"So far, the two times I've seen you, you've been dressed impeccably." That pesky blush began to color Blaine's cheeks yet again. He had never had this much of an involuntary pigmentation issue before. It was kind of annoying.

However, when Kurt sported a similar blush, he didn't mind so much. "T-thank you," the slender man stuttered out through a small, bashful smile. "I really like your bowtie." Kurt complimented in return. Although, it was completely true; he really _did _like the jewel green bowtie that was tied around Blaine's neck. It really brought out his eyes.

Blaine straightened it showily, eliciting a small giggle from Kurt that made his heart do some strange syncopation thing.

"Any other interests I should know from the very interesting Kurt…?"

"Hummel, Kurt Hummel." The man in question supplied. He thought long and hard, determined to think of at least one other thing. He knew that there was at least one other thing that had meant a lot to him in the past. _Oh, yeah, that…_Kurt suddenly remembered. "I think I like to sing." Kurt blurted out, sounding rather surprised.

Blaine's brow furrowed adorably as he squinted confusedly at Kurt. "You _think _you like to sing?"

"…Yeah…" Kurt replied, his voice sounding a million miles away, as his pale blue eyes seemingly searched the air for answers, "…I haven't done it in a long time…" But now he remembered. Glee club, fighting for solos like a drowning man fights for air, auditions, "…I made it into NYADA, but quit after my sophomore year to pursue my job at Vogue and try my hand in the fashion industry…" He remembered the feeling of being on stage; it was a special brand of homecoming. He remembered the scramble of the backstage and the nervous fidgeting as he waited for the curtain to rise. He remembered the feeling he got when he positively nailed a note. The thrill of a standing ovation, delivering the show of your life. The breathlessness, the adrenaline, the joy, the camaraderie, feeling like you were a part of something, feeling like _you _were something. A someone, a somebody. Feeling like you mattered. "I loved it." Kurt said in awe, his eyes finally focusing on Blaine, trying desperately to find an anchor as he descended back down from his frantic whirl of thoughts and memories. _How did I forget? _Kurt wondered almost angrily at himself.

"No," Blaine answered, eyes steadily holding Kurt's; unwavering in their depth and caring. "You _love _it." He placed massive emphasis on the present tense.

Kurt felt tears well up in his eyes, but didn't even have the energy to care about what Blaine would possibly think of his if he cried again. Instead, he just nodded his head fervently, accepting Blaine's modification to his earlier sentence.

"Yes, I love singing. I love music." He simply stating, feeling that the stark simplicity ring between them, filling the room.

Blaine's soft smile crinkled the corners of his eyes and made his entire face so many levels of beautiful, Kurt didn't have time to stop himself before a full sized smile had grown on his own lips.

Blaine felt his heart pick up speed at the sight of Kurt's wide smile. It was the first time he had ever seen the other man smile a real, big, complete smile and he had to admit, he wouldn't mind seeing more of it.

"Hey, Blaine?" One of the offices agents, Wes, had poked his head through the door, shooting a curious glance at Kurt, who was shrinking minutely back into his chair. "We have a meeting in five, with David and Jeff." Blaine nodded in affirmation. Wes slipped back out of the office, walking past the glass office windows slowly, eyeing Kurt with open confusion, absolutely clueless as to who he was. Since Kurt was facing Blaine, his back was to the rest of the office, while Blaine could look behind Kurt to see Wes pointing at Kurt and giving Blaine a cheeky wink and thumbs up. Blaine just blushed like mad and narrowed his eyes at Wes, trying to look strict without tipping off Kurt to his friend and coworker's immature tendencies. Wes just laughed and rolled his eyes, waltzing off to the meeting room.

"Well, I, uh-it was nice talking to you." Kurt offered, jumping up from his chair, suddenly a tad nervous again.

"Yeah, thanks for dropping by. It was a nice surprise." Blaine assured, the same goofy grin that had been on his face nearly the entire time Kurt had been in his office, took up residence on his face yet again.

The tall, lithe man smiled and nodded before turning around and opening the office door to slip out.

"See you around?" Blaine asked, only a little embarrassed at the needy, hopeful quality of his question.

Kurt's eyes widened and his mouth formed a little "o" shape, like he hadn't been expecting an invitation back. "Oh, um…sure." A crooked smile graced his face before he turned and slid noiselessly out of the room and back to the elevator.

Blaine just continued smiling, because he didn't really think he had any other options.

_Could he be any more adorable? _He wondered, before heaving a happy sigh and slipping the coffee sleeve off of his cup and throwing it in an empty drawer in his desk. _Today is a day to remember, _he reasoned with himself.

He couldn't help but feel like things were changing for the better, and it was all due to the new addition of one Kurt Hummel.

**A/N: So? How did I do? What did you think? Will I have time to write a new chapter before the world ends on the 21****st****? Kidding! Please review or PM me, I always love hearing from you guys because you're all totally awesome! Love you!**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey everybody! I hope your Holidays were happy and safe! I want to thank everyone who's reading this story and follows, favorites, or reviews! It just makes my day! I feel like this chapter may start out a little slow, but I hope it flows well enough. Also, this chapter is even longer than the last, so I hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 4**

"Kurt, we need to get your stuff." Rachel didn't even bother with an opener as she sank rather ungracefully down into the couch with her Chinese takeout in hand.

Kurt, however, froze in his spot on the couch. "You mean…like…go _back _there?" he asked with a hint of disbelief coloring his voice. He had grabbed a carton of food for himself, but suddenly he didn't really feel like eating anymore. Setting it back on the coffee table, he leaned back into the couch rigidly, trying his hardest to resist being sucked in by the squishy behemoth of a sofa.

"Kurt, you need clothes," she quickly hurried on when she saw Kurt open his mouth as if to speak, "and I know you'd be more than happy to just buy all new clothes, but what about all the other things that you can't replace?" The tall man deflated some as Rachel took his excuse and reasoned it away.

"Like what, Rachel?" He fired back, a distinct sharpness to his voice, "What do I have that's really worth going back there?" He felt the volume of his voice growing alongside his fear at the prospect of paying his old apartment a visit. He couldn't go back. The one time he had tried to escape, he had lost his resolve a day or two later. Who's to say that seeing his old dwelling wouldn't spark a crumble in his certainty? "Do you know what it was like there?!" His voice nearly broke with the fright drenching it. His breathing came in gasps and starts as if his lungs weren't communicating with the rest of his body.

"No, Kurt, I don't! You won't tell me!" Rachel's calm and casual demeanor finally slipped as she roughly set her food down on the coffee table, hardly touched at all, right next to Kurt's completely untouched one.

Before he could register what he was doing, Kurt found himself standing, words tumbling out of his mouth faster than he could censor them, louder than he intended. "Well what do you want to hear, Rachel? Do you think I want you, you who has been in a long-distance, yet committed and caring relationship with my _brother _for _years, _to know that I've been spending the last 2 years of my life being a pathetic mess? That I've been exactly what everyone at that fucking high school said I would be! Worthless, useless, pointless!" The tears slipped down his face in torrents, cascading down his cheeks in small rivers. "Do you think I want to sit and talk about how a man who hits me, a man who controls me, a man who-who _used _me for h-his…_pleasure _and then kicked me out of the bed when he was done with me, do you think I want to talk about how that man is the best I can do?!" The room seemed too small, the air wasn't enough, the tears stung his face, his whole body, his whole _mind _hurt.

"Kurt…" Rachel spoke softly, a huge contrast to her friend's frantic near-shouting. Her large, brown eyes were becoming damp with tears as her eyelashes desperately tried to catch them before they fell.

"No!" he interrupted, throwing up his hands, still pacing like a caged animal, his eye's absolutely blazing an incredible shade of blue. "No, you wanted me to talk? Then let me fucking talk!"

"Kurt!" Rachel shouted, hands up around her ears as if she was trying to block out the words on the tip on his tongue, all too close to spilling out into the atmosphere between them. She quickly took a deep breath, desperately trying to form some sort of control on this quickly unraveling situation. Standing up off the couch, she slowly approached the slender man, hands held out cautiously as if she were approaching a wild animal. "Kurt, listen, I know that you're scared, okay, I get that. But I'll be right there with you. It'll be you and me." Her hands gently closed around his shoulders, deciding to ignore the way his entire body shrunk back from the touch, stroking very softly with her thumbs, hoping to relieve some of the tension that had spread throughout his entire body.

"Oh yeah, because you and I are _so _intimidating." He scoffed, "Spencer wouldn't _dare _mess with _us_." The sarcasm was thick on each and every word.

"What if I got someone else to come with us?" she tried, brow creased with effort.

"Who?" he threw back, "one of my many friends?" he nearly laughed a little at the thought of friends. _I haven't had friends since Spencer. Well, besides Rachel. She's the only one that stuck around._

The short woman frowned, obviously racking her brain for an answer. After a few silent seconds, the light bulb went off above her head. "What about Blaine?" her smile was ridiculously large, obviously rather proud of herself, thinking she had found the best solution possible.

"What?!" Kurt crowed, taken aback by the suggestion.

"Come on, think about it! You know him, he knows you, you trust him-"

"I do _not _trust him." Kurt clarified in a steely voice.

"You trust him enough to take him coffee and strike up conversation." She smiled smugly, eyes glinting with her familiar arrogant self-assurance.

"He's kind," Kurt insisted, "but it's not fair to drag him into my twisted life."

"It's not dragging if we ask and he accepts."

"Rachel, _no_. End of discussion." His voice rang with finality.

"But Kurt-"

Seeing no painless option available, Kurt amended his argument. "Listen, I will go to S-Spencer's tomorrow with you," he felt his voice waver and closed his eyes. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he forced himself to take a deep breath and continue. "But we leave Blaine out of it. I-I…" another deep breath, "I don't want him to know…" he whispered.

"Kurt," Rachel spoke quietly, trying not to frighten her friend any further, "you know he wouldn't judge y-"

"I don't want him to know." He repeated, voice soft yet firm. He opened his eyes to reveal a tired blue iris, swimming in a sea of soupy white that was fringed by wet, clumped eyelashes, still ringed by purple, bruise like shadows. The exhaustion still clinging to him like a virus.

He couldn't bring himself to tell her _why _he didn't want Blaine to know though. He thought that she probably assumed he didn't want the other man to know because it was personal, it was sensitive. And however true that may be, he had a strange feeling that the slightly shorter man would be nothing but helpful if he were to actually _seek _his help. But Kurt just couldn't have a man that unquestioningly caring know how worthless he was, because as silly as it sounded, Kurt really _did_ want to make good on that invitation to visit again. He longed to just sit across from him and sip coffee and talk about the weather, just because the way his hazel eyes watched him and the smile that his words, _his _words , painted on the curly headed man's face, made him feel like he wasn't lower than dirt. Made him feel like he could hold a decent conversation even though he was horribly dull and uninteresting. And he was willing to bet that if Blaine just knew how incredibly fucked up his life was, how fucked up _he _was, he could just kiss that invitation goodbye. And perhaps it was a pointless venture, perhaps it was just prolonging his suffering, but even though he knew he couldn't hide his uselessness forever, that one day Blaine would see through him, discover what a waste of time he was, and go running for the hills, grimacing in disgust the whole way, he just wanted a little bit longer to revel in the gentle nature of this mysterious man. But he couldn't just _tell _Rachel that. So he just let her assume.

Searching those eyes, Rachel couldn't bring herself to push any further. "Okay." She answered simply, watching Kurt nod like his head weighed a thousand pounds.

"You know," she piped up after resuming her eating, "it was sort of nice to have you fighting with me again." She shrugged her shoulders while she studied her fried rice with the upmost interest. The casual tone of her voice was only slightly marred by a hint of pride; as if she was proud that Kurt had found his old combative side.

A breathy laugh slid through the tall man's lips as she curled into the corner of the sofa. He rested his chin in his knees and flicked his eyes up to rest tiredly on his roommate.

It was quiet for a few minutes before Kurt finally said, very quietly, "You know, when I wake up…it'll be gone again…" His blue eyes sank to his lap, ashamed that he couldn't even stand up for himself anymore.

People used to say that he was sassy. People used to say that he was bitchy. People used to say that he was witty, he was clever, he was a fighter. But that didn't seem to happen too much anymore. Not because Kurt didn't talk to very many people, but because he hadn't been able to fight back in the longest time. He hated how everything seemed to tie back to Spencer, but he knew it was the tall blonde who had changed him so drastically over the last few years.

Very softly, he felt a hand land on his shoulder. As per usual, he drew back a little, but ultimately forced himself to stay under her caring touch. _Deep breath, it's okay, she won't hurt you, _he reminded himself.

"But it's a start," she offered quietly, eyes absolutely brimming with hope, willing him to see that not all was lost.

Kurt just nodded back, trying to squash the quelling hope that was leaking into his heart. He wasn't allowed to hope. Not anymore.

*~Line Break~*

Sure enough, Kurt awoke the next morning after a rousing round of nightmares that had plagued the entire 2 hours he had actually slept, subdued. The fighting spirit had petered out as per prediction and was now safely nestled somewhere deep inside of him again.

He quickly dressed in the same pair of dark wash skinny jeans he had worn the day prior (just shoot me now) and a white v-neck t-shirt that he borrowed from Rachel. It was still a tad big on him, but it would do he supposed. Better a white t-shirt as opposed to a kitten sweater or something equally as hideous that found refuge in that girl's closet.

That same girl had taken the day off of work to aid in her plan to get Kurt's things back. Kurt was thankful that he wasn't going back to work until tomorrow, although he was a little anxious to have the distraction of his job to numb his mind again. Well that, and fabulous clothes seem to make even the worst days just a little bit brighter.

Rachel's plan shocked him by staying on the simplistic side of things. Taking Rachel's over-exaggerated, drama queen personality into account, he had been prepared for a strategy that would include grappling hooks, smoke bombs, and elaborate pulley systems. However, she had devised the rather simple scheme of going to the apartment during Spencer's work day-a classic 9-5 window.

A knock sounded at the door, causing Kurt's brow to crinkle in confusion. _It's almost time to go, _Kurt thought, _I hope this doesn't take too long. _

As he neared the door, Rachel slid, in her still socked feet, in between him and the door, hands already up in front of her, palms forward as if saying _stop_. "Okay, listen, I'm going to open this door and you're going to remember that I did this to _help _you."

"Rachel…" he asked cautiously, fear pooling low in his belly.

"Just," she said over her shoulder as she twisted the door knob, "don't get mad." And opened the door.

"Hey," Blaine greeted casually as Rachel gestured for him to step into the apartment.

His deep hazel eyes found Kurt next and seemed to sparkle just a little bit more. "Hi Kurt," he said quieter, as he ducked his head down a little bit, trying to suppress the blush that always seemed to crop up on his cheeks whenever the slender man was around.

Kurt however, had flushed an impossible white color. His mouth hung open just a little bit in disbelief and…betrayal?

Not quite believing what Rachel had done, he pivoted on his heel and stalked toward her bedroom, calling over his shoulder, "Rachel. Bedroom. Now." His voice was firm and measured, obviously trying to hold in the emotion trying to break out to the surface.

He stood, tapping his foot, waiting impatiently for the short brunette to enter. He heard her stutter out some apologies and invitations to "sit down and make yourself at home" to their guest. Finally, she timidly stepped into the room, slowly shutting the door behind her and leaning back against it, eyeing Kurt warily.

"Rachel…" he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in an attempt to contain the headache trying to pound the front of his skull. "I specifically told you to leave Blaine _out_ of this."

Heaving herself off of the door, she took a desperate step towards Kurt, willing him to see things from her point of view. "You want to be in and out, right?" a nod from the slender man. "Then we could really use the extra person; it will speed things up!" she said excitedly, as if it all made perfect sense.

"But, Rachel-"

"Listen, I just told him that you're moving in with me, and we could use some help getting your things. He accepted and said he wouldn't mind missing a day of work."

"But I-"

"He won't even have to go into the apartment, okay? He'll just sit in the car and arrange the luggage so it will all fit."

"Fine!" Kurt relented, honestly just tired of her babbling. It's not like he could just go into the living room and tell Blaine to take a hike. "Fine, he can come. But he doesn't even set foot into the apartment complex." He thought to add.

Rachel smiled a big smile and nodded her head gratefully. Her expression softened a little when she noticed Kurt wringing his hands nervously.

"It's going to be okay, Kurt." Her eyes were wide and almost childlike.

Kurt just scoffed and walked straight passed her, astounded by her childish belief, when he himself had a very bad feeling about this.

Shyly, Kurt re-entered the living room, followed by Rachel not too far behind.

Blaine instantly stood up off the couch where he had been perched nervously on the edge.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I can leave if you want me to." He rambled hurriedly, eyes searching Kurt's face frantically, looking for traces of anger, "I mean, I'm just some weird guy from your friend's office who's practically a stranger so I can see why you wouldn't want me hanging around an-"

"You can stay." Kurt interrupted, wondering why he couldn't kill the tiny smile beginning to curve his lips upward, sparked by the man's adorable rambling.

"Oh." He said with surprise and wonder, as if having this ethereal man wanting him around was the most magical thing he had experienced.

"I'm sorry for being so rude," Kurt apologized, a blush already ripe on his face, remembering his rather improper greeting, "I-I just wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Oh, it's okay," Blaine assured, smiling a soft smile at the blue eyed man.

Kurt allowed his eyes to link with the slightly shorter man, standing across the room. He would be lying if he said he didn't like those eyes. He liked them a lot in fact…

"So," Blaine started, clearing his throat and breaking the silence of their stare, "you're moving today?"

"That he is!" Rachel replied happily for him, finally speaking from behind Kurt where she had stopped to watch the exchange. She linked her arm through Kurt's and pulled him towards the door, "We should actually get going."

Kurt managed to suppress his groan until he heard Rachel chirp, "Come on Kurtie!" skipping like a gleeful child.

Rolling his eyes, he managed to shoot Blaine a _help me _sort of look that caused the other man to break into a wide smile.

Maybe having Blaine with them would make it easier to keep the dread at bay.

*~Line Break~*

Blaine pulled the car up to the curb and put it in park. The three sat in the car silently for a minute or two, just looking at the building.

"Well, we should probably just get it over with." Rachel sighed, gripping Kurt's wrist and tugging him to slide across the back seat and exit through her door right after her. She ducked her head back in and turned to Blaine. "Just wait here and we'll start bringing out boxes and suitcases and stuff, okay?"

"Can do," Blaine replied, getting out of the car and opening the trunk.

As they climbed the few steps up to the apartment building, Kurt eyed it warily. It looked so…so _ordinary_. It bore absolutely no mark to the pain that these walls had housed. It didn't warrant any second glances or fright, but it did. Well, for Kurt it did.

They went up a few flights of stairs until they found themselves on the third floor, in front of a plain gray door with a tarnished gold door knocker that probably hadn't ever been used.

Kurt mechanically dug the key from his jean's pocket and unlocked the door. The familiarity of everything was rooted so deeply in his mind, that for a moment, he almost felt as though he was coming home from work to find Spencer watching T.V. or reading or fuming over something. For years, Kurt had unlocked this door, jiggled the key a little up and down to make it sink all the way into the old abused lock and shoved the door in with a little nudge of his shoulder.

All was still as they stood in the doorway, just surveying the room. Rachel kept her eyes on Kurt, waiting for the signal that it was okay to begin…or move…or breathe. She saw his eyes flicking here and there as if checking for any signs of danger and wondered if this was something he had done every time he had entered his home. _Home, _she scoffed internally, mocking the word for all the lies it implied about where Kurt had lived.

Ever so slowly, Kurt took one step inside…then a second…and finally allowed himself to reach the center of the living room. Head on a pivot as it swiveled around to silently reacquaint himself. The front door opened directly into a small foray of sorts, where they had kept an old wooden coat rack that had some chipping black paint on it, next to a matching table where keys and coins would be thrown at the end of a long day. A beautiful silver framed mirror hung over that short Victorian-esque table while on the opposite wall hung a framed painting of colorful autumn trees that Spencer had purchased at an auction before Kurt had even met him. After a couple steps, the room opened up into a large, open room that was the living room, kitchen, _and _dining room, all in one. Upon entering it you would see the kitchen at the back. It had beautiful white antique cabinets with little glass windows in them that framed the sleek, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops. A long island effectively separated the kitchen area from the "dining room" which was really just a long wooden table that had brushed nickel legs and chairs to match. Kurt had never understood why they had needed this 6 seater rectangle; it was just the two of them and Kurt usually didn't eat-and it wasn't like they were entertaining or having friends over. Speaking of unnecessary things, the living room set up was complete over kill for the two men living in the apartment. The large tan couch faced the television that was placed on the wall opposite. If you entered through the front door, walked through the tiny vestibule and turned a 180, you would find the large television hung over a rustic brick fireplace that was never used. On either side of the tan couch was an arm chair that was angled slightly towards the couch, as if inviting conversation. Yeah right…a light white coffee table was positioned in the center of all the furniture, coasters always available to keep dripping drinks from leaving marks on the wooden antique furniture. As most of the accessories and furniture in the house, the floors too were wooden. However, instead of the antique look, these hardwood floors boasted a shiny lacquer that screamed high maintenance. These floors were left uncovered due to the fact that they were absolutely beautiful, apart from a huge oriental rug that covered the entire living room section. It was plush and ornate, something Kurt himself had picked out when he had first moved in-before things got bad. The one bathroom in the apartment was down a small, narrow hallway that was just to the left of the kitchen if you were looking at it from the front door. The bed room and guest room doors were on the right side of the apartment with no hallways or entryways for a preamble. The guest room had always been rather bare, considering no one ever slept in it, as they had no guests…ever. Slowly, over time, Spencer had begun to convert it into a home office. A gorgeous dark oak desk with gold hardware was placed in there along with a towering bookshelf that had come crashing down tragically one night in one of Spencer's infamous rages. One of the other things that hadn't survived that night had been the expensive blood red curtains that covered the two huge square windows on the wall opposite the door. The master bedroom-_Spencer's _bedroom- also had two rather intense square windows. They were only two or three feet from making the entire wall entirely glass. The walls remained white as did the sheets and the comforter and any other minimalistic decoration in the bedroom.

It disturbed Kurt to a certain extent that he couldn't find a single trace of his style in this, this…space. Besides one or two things, like the rug, everything else he had picked out or bought or brought to the apartment had either been destroyed, disapproved or banished to the boxes in the back of the closets.

_Closets, _Kurt thought, _that's as good a place as any. _"So I guess we should start with clothes," he began softly, still used to speaking in whispers when he was here. Trying to stay silent and invisible had become a survival tactic. "That's going to be the biggest chunk of what I need."

Rachel nodded silently and let Kurt lead her into the bedroom. She had so many questions, seeing as this was the first time she had ever been inside Kurt's dwellings of nearly 3 years. _Did he help decorate? Did they ever snuggle by the fire? Did they ever make dinner together? _But she bit her tongue, not wanting to make Kurt relive anything that might be painful and pretty sure that the answer would be no anyways. Something a kin to rage boiled deep inside of her, a slightly foreign emotion that she tried desperately to hold in. _This is about Kurt, _she reminded herself, _in and out, remember?_

Her eyes quickly reviewed the bedroom to find it excruciatingly white and bland. The covers were wrinkled and creased, haphazardly thrown across the bed without any real care. Kurt turned to the doors on the left wall and flung them open, exposing a surprisingly large walk in closet. He immediately began taking suitcases down off the shelves and placing them, wide open, on the floor.

Rachel waited patiently as Kurt prepared the first round of luggage for her to run down to Blaine. She studied the dust accumulating on the blinds in the bedroom; not much, but just maybe a few days' worth. _Since Kurt's been gone, _Rachel noted offhandedly. She saw that the digital clock's bright green numbers were blinking all eights. Confused, she walked over to it and squatted down to face it eye level, finding that the plug had been ripped out of the socket… with the socket still attached; the clock now running off of quickly dwindling battery power. _Someone's not a morning person, _passed through her mind snidely. Out of the corner of her eye a speck of color caught her attention. Curious as to what was breaking the bleak white wash of this cell, she shifted from her crouched down position to her knees, squinting at the cold, hardwood floors. A rush of nausea slammed into her when she realized that the color was red. And the red was blood. And the blood was in drops. Everywhere. Dozens, some small, some large, some older and more of a brown, while some were still a strikingly dull red color, littered the floor. _A man who-who _used _me for h-his…_pleasure _and then kicked me out of the bed when he was done with me… _Kurt's voice echoed in her ears. Oh yes, she most definitely felt sick now.

"Rach?" Kurt asked, staring at her curiously, a suitcase absolutely bursting at the seams in each hand. Her head snapped up to meet his eyes, but she couldn't wipe the sick, stricken look off of her face in time. Kurt's eyes slowly moved to the ground, following where Rachel's eyes had just been.

It was silent. Kurt stared at the floor, Rachel stood up straight and stared at Kurt, and the air was still. Every horror ran through Kurt's mind, vivid and clear, shame encapsulating his soul with renewed vigor. Every horror was implied, clear as day for Rachel, and for the first time, she really understood why Kurt had dreaded coming back here: The white walls, the lack of personality in every little detail of the apartment, the lack of free will, the feeling of tension palpable and rich in the air, making it hard to breathe. The pain was in the blood on the floor. The physical pain and emotional. Because not only had this monster done this to her friend, but he hadn't even had the caring, or the remorse to clean it up afterwards. He had left it there for Kurt to see, every time he set foot into this room, like some sort of sick trophy for himself that caused Kurt to relive the pain over and over again. An endless cycle.

Rachel wanted to envelope Kurt in her arms so bad right now, and make it all go away, but she knew he'd flinch away if she did. And that alone spoke louder than the blood on the floor.

"These are uh…" the slender man had washed all emotion from his face as he finally tore his gaze away from the speckled hardwood floors, "these are ready to be taken down." He stiffly held out his stick-thin arms, grasping a bulging suitcase in each long-fingered hand.

"Okay," Rachel said, hefting them out of his arms and slowly turning away, almost hesitant to leave Kurt here alone…or at all. With his back straight as a rod, he pivoted around and disappeared back into the closet, where the sound of wire hangers clicking together began again. Rachel finally left the apartment, door wide open, to take them down to Blaine.

An hour passed in much the same fashion. Kurt worked silently and efficiently, packing his wardrobe away and then a few kitchen appliances that he was appalled Rachel didn't already own. Finally, he had retrieved the three small boxes of personal belongings that Spencer had declared unfit for viewing and had oh so kindly asked Kurt to please, "Keep your shit out of my sight!" Making sure the old, dusty cardboard boxes were sturdy enough, he put two rather heavy ones in Rachel's tired arms and said he would take the last one after making one last sweep around the place to ensure he had grabbed everything.

He heard her sigh a thank you and exit the apartment for the last time. A few moments later he heard the ding of the elevator, smiling slightly to himself. Rachel had been bound and determined to take the stairs on each and every trip, claiming it was good exercise. However, about halfway through Kurt's extensive wardrobe, she had relented to using the elevator to aid her descent. "But I'm still using the stairs on the way up!" she had argued stubbornly.

With his final box in hand, he let his eyes slip around the open room, taking it in for the last time.

"Back again?" a snide voice questioned from the front door that had been left wide open, "I don't know why you leave; you always come crawling right back."

Kurt whirled around to see Spencer standing in the doorway, smirking at him, so arrogant, so cocky. However, when his eyes dropped to see the box cradled in Kurt's arms, his smirk dropped too.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" anger began to seep into his words, all too familiar to Kurt.

The trembling man tried to get his mouth to work, he really did, but when he opened it, he couldn't force any words out. He didn't even know what he would say if he had the capability. He felt his shoulders curve inward, his eyes drop to the ground, only to flick up intermittently to watch the tall blonde's actions, hyper aware of how close he got, how mad he got, how dangerous he was.

"You really think you can leave?" he laughed, taking a few steps further into the apartment and closer to Kurt who stood rooted in his spot.

"And where will you go?" he seemed rather amused at the idea of Kurt finding refuge.

"A f-friend's." Kurt whispered, eyes downcast.

"A-a w-what? Speak up you stuttering mess!"

"A friend." Kurt said, only a hair louder on a still shaky voice.

"I'm sorry, I thought you said friend," Spencer laughed, a hint of anger coming back into his voice, blending almost imperceptibly, "but that can't be right because no one would be friends with a waste of skin like you."

Taking small steps forward, Spencer edged closer and closer to Kurt. "You think people like fat, ugly pieces of shit like you? Do you really think, in that incredibly dull mind of yours, that someone would put up with the absolute worthlessness of you?" He was now only a few feet away, his blue eyes hard as diamonds and jagged as broken glass. "I'm the only one, _Kurt!_" he spat the name out like it tasted horrific in his mouth. "The only one!"

Kurt instinctually raised his hands up to fist over each ear, trying to block out the words that had already nestled themselves deep in his heart like splinters. Only then did he realize the tears beginning to rise in his eyes, still neatly tucked away, but threatening to make an appearance. _No, not here, not now. _

"No, no, no," he began to mutter over and over again, like a mantra to himself, willing Spencer's words to be as false as Rachel swore they were.

"Shut up, you filthy slut," the angry man muttered in disgust, voice dangerously low.

"No, no, no, no," Kurt continued to mutter, hands still clamped loosely over his ears and fingers gripping his hair tightly, almost painfully.

"I said, shut up you disgraceful little fag!" and with that burst, his hand swung out to smash against the side of Kurt's face, splitting his lip and sending the trembling man to the floor, still cradling his box in his arms; using it as a buoy of hope.

A gasp was heard from the still open doorway, causing both men's heads to swing sharply over to see the witness. Rachel stood, shocked, tears already poised and ready to go in her eyes.

If Kurt hadn't been so scared shitless, in pain, and ashamed, he might have found the way Spencer's eyes widened to be comical. Spencer had never wanted people to see what happened behind closed doors. That had been the only reason Kurt had been granted permission to have coffee with Rachel at her office every few weeks; to keep up appearances. So now, the culprit's eyes flickered between Rachel and Kurt a few times before deciding that the best course of action would be to shove Rachel aside and leave the scene of the crime. After sending one last look of disgust to the countertenor still sprawled out on the ground, he did just that.

"Kurt?" Rachel asked in a rushed voice, trying to rid herself of the shock that seemed to want to seize her muscles into immobility.

Kurt looked up at her, still on the ground himself, with a bewildered, tearful look in his eyes. The events weren't quite processed through his mind yet.

"Oh God, Kurt," Rachel cried, seeing the blood dribbling down his chin out of his split lip. She reached forward to swipe some of the blood away but Kurt roughly shoved her hand off and nearly leapt off the floor. He held the box tightly in his arms, almost as if trying to seek comfort from this embrace.

"I want to go now," he said, his voice a clear precursor to tears as he hurriedly exited the apartment and headed straight for the stairs. His long legs took him down the stairs two at a time, and growing faster with each step; frantic to escape the suffocating air of the apartment complex. Rachel hurried after him, nearly falling down the stairs as she practically ran after him.

"Kurt?" she questioned over and over again, trying to elicit a response from the obviously frazzled man, who had taken up trembling and hyperventilation.

When he finally reached the bottom of the final flight, he launched himself at the door leading to the outside world, frantically trying to find safety as the shame and doubt settled a dark cloud over his head again. His lungs felt too small, like he couldn't get enough air. It wasn't soon before fuzzy black dots began swimming into his vision.

"Kurt!" Rachel's voice once again rang out after the crumbling man, watching as his ever faster pace caused him to slip on the last few stairs leading to the sidewalk, ending in a painful landing on the concrete, unwilling to drop the box in his arms to break his fall.

Blaine, who had been leaning up against the car casually, sprang off of it upon seeing the obviously distressed man tumble down to the sidewalk. He was beat to it though as Rachel placed a hand on his shoulder. In response, Kurt scrambled up, violently shaking off the small brunette's hand like it had burned him.

Burying his lower face into the top of the box his shaking only intensified. "I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine…" he muttered, eyes wild as his thin legs practically leapt to the car, diving into the back seat and curling up on the far side, trying to make himself small as humanly possible.

"Rachel, wha-" Blaine asked quietly, stepping up to rest a hand on her small shoulder. His heart was beating fast at seeing tears in Kurt's eyes. He didn't like seeing this beautiful man in pain; it seemed so misplaced, unnatural even, like nature shouldn't allow someone so wonderful to hurt.

"His ex showed up." She stated bluntly.

Oh, it was one of _those _moving days.

"Damn it, why didn't I even _think_ about him coming home for lunch?! Fuck!" she ran her hands through her hair a few times, completely demolishing the neat part that cut through the center as she stood restlessly on her feet, shooting glances at the car where Kurt sat, clutching his knees to his chest, muttering to himself, tears still held captive in his eyes.

She walked past Blaine to enter the back seat of the car, silently giving Kurt the option to talk or cuddle or…well anything really.

Not knowing what else to do, Blaine turned around, closed the absolutely packed trunk and got into the driver's seat, beginning to steer them back to Rachel's apartment.

He couldn't stop himself from steeling the occasional glance in the rearview mirror at the blue-eyed beauty whom was trembling and looking out the window while Rachel's coos of affirmation just bounced right off of him. Then he saw the split lip and the one cheek that boasted a pink hue, when the other was pale as snow.

Oh, it was one of _those _moving days.

The cut eyebrow, the split lip, the flinching, the shyness. Even on the day he had met him, Rachel's words _You. Are. Not. Going. Back. There. _Held so many answers to questions he hadn't even asked yet.

Kurt had been abused. By his boyfriend. _Ex_-boyfriend. Blaine could safely say that he knew what the urge to kill felt like now.

He quickly threw another glance into the rearview mirror only to find Kurt's stunning blue eyes staring straight back. In a flash though, he had relocated his gaze to the window, not able to hold eye contact any longer.

Kurt had known from the very start that he wouldn't get to keep Blaine. He knew that one day, the truth would come tumbling out and the toothy grins, the large hazel eyes, wouldn't smile at him anymore. But, God, how he had hoped that he would have more time. Just a little bit longer to enjoy this man's kindness and feel the warmth that just saying his name brought him. It was silly and childish, but he just wanted this man around even if he didn't deserve him, because when he was with him, he could put aside his shame, his worthlessness and all of his flaws and inadequacies and pretend that this man's patience and kindness meant that he actually _liked _him.

But who was he kidding? It was over before it even began. No more coffee, no more chatting, no more.

Just…nothing.

**A/N: Ooo, drama! Sorry for the ending, but I promise, we'll have Kurt smiling again! Please Review or send me a PM! Love hearing from you guys, and love you even when I don't (at least you're reading, right ;) ).**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I bring you another chapter! I know, so soon, right? I just really wanted to write this chapter so I indulged myself and decided I'd post it for you now, instead of waiting for a week or two. Also, I don't know about you guys, but I was having some serious Blaine withdrawals in the last chapter, so I fixed it with this one! Once again, thanks to all of you who reviewed or followed or favorited or all three! It makes me want to keep writing these stories! Okay, I'm done now! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 5**

_Is this weird? It's not stalking…right? _Blaine wasn't entirely sure what he was doing at the moment, but it would either turn out awkward or bad, of that he was approximately 99% sure.

This morning he had woken up with a strange weight in his heart that he had never felt before. He had already dressed in a white and lavender plaid shirt, paired with his favorite black slacks and suit coat and adorned the entire ensemble with a deep, plum bowtie, and was pouring himself a cup of coffee before he set out for work when he finally placed why his heart was hurting. The tears in Kurt's eyes. The way he curled into a tight ball in the backseat of his car. How badly he had wanted to do more than simply unload his luggage and help carry it up the stairs to Rachel's, but he just couldn't because as soon as the luggage was all out of the car and in the apartment, Kurt had retreated to the guest room-or he supposed it was Kurt's room now-and locked himself inside.

And why did Kurt's happiness mean so much to him? Good question! Blaine was still trying to figure that one out, to be honest. Sure, he was gorgeous; he had eyes that were green and blue and even a gray. He never thought that gray could be pretty, but here this slender man with endless legs came and completely proved him wrong without even lifting a finger. Yes, he was shy and obviously had some skeletons in the closet, but then again, who didn't? But when he began to relax, he was kind and sweet and from the little he had seen so far, had a wonderful sense of humor. It was safe to say that Blaine was…intrigued, yeah, that word worked. But as for the unexplainable protectiveness, the inscrutable need to make him smile, and the way his train of thought always seemed to veer off track to linger on the tall brunette at all times of day, he didn't exactly have an answer for that. He couldn't find a reason for the instant pull he felt just by laying his eyes on Kurt once.

However, with or without a reason, that same pull had brought him to a coffee shop just around the corner for his lunch break. He ordered what he needed and then walked the few blocks necessary to bring him to the magnificent building that housed Vogue. After all, he _was _gay and an avid reader of Vogue; of course he knew where the building was.

Gripping the two coffees in his hands, he walked up to the front desk and kindly asked if he could speak to a Kurt Hummel. The receptionist eyed him curiously before picking up her phone and making a call.

"Hello, Mr. Hummel, there is someone here to see you. A Mr…?" she trailed off, silently asking for Blaine's name with a simple lift of a single eyebrow. However, when he went to give it to her, she promptly hung up and just replied, "He said to just send you on back. His office is down the hallway on the left, near the end on the left.

"Left. Got it." He nodded his thanks and headed down the correct hallway. His nerves seemed to intensify with each step. He really didn't know what he was doing, but he supposed it was a little too late to turn back now.

His head surveyed the sleek hallway. Hell, everything here seemed to be sleek; it was the word of the day. Each office had a glass front, much like his own, but the other three walls were white. All the insides were decorated differently; pictures, vases of flowers, splashes of colors here and there, anything to liven it up. It was sort of like watching animals in their exhibits; one after another.

Finally, second to last office on the left, showed the man he had been looking for, sitting at a stylish stainless steel desk that boasted matte black hardware that faced the hallway. In the back corners of the office sat two black cubes, almost like end tables, but both were bare. Not even dust was on the tops of them. It was like they were just there to take up some space.

The door was already propped open, so Blaine cautiously edged his way in, stopping halfway to announce himself. Seeing as how Kurt had his head in his hands, his shoulders slumped, he didn't want to scare the unsuspecting man.

Gently clearing his throat, Blaine quietly asked, "Um, may I come in?"

The thin man's head snapped up so fast, Blaine almost feared it would break his neck. The same also went for his eyes, as they snapped wide open to take in the shorter man standing in his doorway.

"B-Blaine?" Kurt asked softly, voice full of wonder and confusion, as if the idea that this man would be standing in his office door was the absolute last thing he had thought he would ever see. And to be honest, it sort of was.

Why was Blaine here? Why would he want to even _see _Kurt? Why wasn't he leaving like everyone else?

Shaking his head in disbelief, Kurt shakily motioned for Blaine to enter his office, his eyes never leaving the curly headed man as he closed the door behind him and settled himself down on the edge of the chic black armless chair with matte black leather swirls in an almost paisley like design. Was there anything about Kurt or his possessions that wasn't fabulous?

"I uh…I got you coffee, to thank you for the uh-the coffee…that you brought me…a couple days ago…in my office…" he slowly stopped talking, running out of pointless details to make him look stupid and all the more like a bumbling fool. He silently placed the coffee on top of Kurt's desk, praying that the stunning looking man wouldn't notice the blush tingeing his cheeks. That didn't seem likely, considering how Kurt's eyes were still glued to him. Which only made him blush even more. _It's an endless cycle. _

"So…you're thanking me for bringing you coffee, by bringing me coffee?" Kurt questioned, feeling a small smile tugging his lips into a sliver of a crescent, before he realized that he shouldn't get his hopes up. _He's probably just coming for closure, _Kurt reminded himself, _wanting to know what I dragged him into._

Blaine giggled, yet nodded. _Keep the conversation going, _he reminded himself. "I also wanted to make sure you were…okay." He didn't really know if he was allowed to ask these things; it wasn't really his business, but he couldn't resist. He needed to hear him say it. "You know…after what happened yesterday…"

Kurt immediately paled. _Here it is; the questions. _Taking a deep breath, and completely aware that this was probably the final conversation Blaine would willingly have with him.

Keeping it simple, he replied with a blunt, "Yes, thank you for asking." It was stiff and he had no illusions that Blaine believed him. There was no way that he didn't see through him; especially with his track record of understanding precisely what he was thinking.

Blaine nodded slowly, a small frown on his face. "No, you're not. But you don't have to tell me."

Blue orbs found his hazel replicas and bore into them. How? How did this man witness him being such a blubbering idiot and not drop his ass right then and there? Kurt was utterly dumbfounded as to how he wasn't even prying for answers. _People aren't like this, _he couldn't help but think.

Suddenly, the dam broke. Well, not a full break, but it sprung a leak so to speak. The intense pressure that was hardly relieved by crying in his room alone all night, shoved a few words through his lips. The kindness exuded from Blaine made him feel like maybe these words would find somewhere safe to fall.

"I-I…my ex…S-Sp-" Kurt took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second to gather his racing thoughts, "S-Spencer…he came b-back and…w-well I-I'm leaving him." Those words sent the oddest rush of emotions through Kurt's body. It was a mix of exhilaration, empowerment and downright fear. Probably 80% fear. "He w-wasn't too happy about t-that." He quickly ducked his head down, trying to stop the words clawing their way up his throat, but finding the effort to be a complete waste of time. The words just kept coming. They didn't hurt so bad with warm blankets of hazel being cast on him from a man with a gentle nature. "H-he…_hit _me," he felt tears beginning to prick his eyes and the sharp stabbing pain of deep breaths moving too quickly in and out of his lungs. "For _years _he _hit _me. A-and _threw _things…sometimes a-at me. H-h-he-" He broke off with a sharp gasp of pain, his heart positively throbbing, eyes sinking down to the desk in front of him as the all too familiar feeling of shame began to constrict his windpipe.

Suddenly, he felt a warmth by his side. It was almost inviting; it felt…comforting, nice even. He peeked up to see Blaine kneeling beside him, yet consciously making an effort to refrain from touching him; waiting for permission.

_Do I really want to do this? _Kurt asked himself. Would he let Blaine in? Was he willing to take that risk? So far, this adorable man had done nothing but show unbearable kindness and caring, and the warmth radiating off of him felt oh so inviting. But didn't all people have a secret side to them? Didn't everyone leave? Kurt couldn't help but feel that if he let Blaine, even just incrementally closer, he would end up getting hurt. Maybe minor, maybe massively. _Hell, I already have so many scars, what's the difference if I pick up a few more?_

Silently, Kurt angled his body ever so slightly towards Blaine; forcing himself to twist his torso so it was completely facing Blaine. With this permission granted, Blaine very, very slowly lifted one hand to tenderly wipe away each individual tear with his thumb. He kept his movements slow and consistent; completely predictable, all so he wouldn't scare the tragic beauty with skin of silk currently underneath his fingertips.

"Hey, hey, shh, you don't have to talk about this now, shh," Blaine whispered, keeping his voice low and nonthreatening. When all the tears were scrubbed away, without thinking, he placed his hand on the side of Kurt's face, cupping his cheek almost lovingly. Instantly panicking and fearing he had crossed some sort of line, Blaine was just about to pull his hand away when he saw Kurt nuzzle almost imperceptibly into his calloused hand. He wasn't even sure if Kurt knew he had done it, but he tried his luck and kept his hand in place.

"I-I'm sorry," Kurt whispered back, eyes closed in half sadness half _So this is what a gentle touch feels like…_, "I-I'm always making a spectacle of myself. I-I just…I-I'm too weak to stop m-myself sometimes." Then he mumbled something that sounded a lot like, _I deserved it._

Blaine instinctually stroked his thumb across the delicate skin of Kurt's cheek bone to gain his attention and eye contact. When he was sure he had both he told Kurt the truth, the way he saw it. "Hey, you did _not _deserve what this, this, _man, _and I use that term loosely, did to you. There is absolutely no way someone as sweet as you could _ever _deserve to be hurt." His hazel eyes rang with just as much truth as the words cradled in his smooth voice.

Kurt looked back at him with some expression akin to astonishment and hope. It almost felt foreign on his face. He tried to form words but they just wouldn't come, so he continued gaping lightly.

"So," Blaine said, voice a little bit louder, but still soft and pleasant, "I'd rather not see you cry anymore today because it breaks my heart." He removed his hand from Kurt's cheek, instantly missing the softness against his palm. He stood up, but couldn't bring himself to move too far from the gorgeous man whose blue eyes were sparkling all too beautifully right now, so he just plopped himself down on top of Kurt's desk, still facing him, and playfully clutched at his heart, blushing lightly as he appreciated the tiny giggle that sprung from Kurt's mouth at his words and gestures. "And," he leaned back to retrieve his coffee and picked Kurt's up to hand to him, "because, I only have an hour for lunch and it's half way over." Another tiny giggle from Kurt graced his ears.

"So what exactly do you do here at the fabulous Vogue?" Effectively changing the topic to happier subjects, Blaine took a long pull from his coffee.

Kurt felt yet another giggle rise to his lips at the adorable curly headed man perched on the edge of his desk. "I'm a fashion writer currently," he answered, a tad of his old confidence finding its way back into his voice, "so I write pieces on what's up and coming, what's hot right now, what's last season, you know, all that bitchy, 'no white after labor day' stuff that people hate to talk about, and makes people think I have an egotistical superiority complex, because I happen to know how to differentiate between what looks good and cutting edge as opposed to wanna-be and trying too hard."

It was the single longest thing Kurt had ever said to him and Blaine felt his smile growing with each word. He had only seen glimpses of Kurt mildly relaxed, but seeing him completely relaxed was like a breath of fresh air. He felt a happiness spread deep inside of him. _So this is the real Kurt…_

"So how does my outfit stand up today, then?" Blaine questioned, holding his arms out wide to show off the ensemble he had put together.

Kurt's brow wrinkled ever so slightly as he seriously considered each piece of clothing individually and then as an outfit. "I like it," he decided, a small smile coming immediately to his lips, "The plaid shirt, well first off, lavender is a beautiful color on you. Pair it with white in that print and it looks positively lovely with your olive skin tone. The plaid shirt also adds a certain playfulness to the classic button down and suit combo you see nearly half of the men wearing in this town. And, well, I'm supposing that the bowtie is sort of your thing?"

Blaine nodded proudly, a silly grin on his face. "It's an obsession, really."

"Well, obsession or not, you wear them well. I particularly like this plum colored one with the lighter purple; keeps it from being too matchy-matchy." Kurt shuddered adorably at the mention of matching everything in an outfit.

_I didn't even know a person could shudder adorably, _Blaine thought wondrously.

"I actually got it because purple is my favorite color," Blaine explained, "hence the plethora of purple clothing in all different shades and hues." He joked.

"Well, it looks good on you," Kurt replied, blushing bashfully and smiling to himself.

Blaine just blushed in return, trying to tame the butterflies assaulting the inside of his stomach at Kurt's compliment.

"What's your favorite color?" Blaine asked, only slightly awkwardly, and feeling only slightly lame.

Scrunching his nose a little, Kurt gave it some serious consideration before shrugging and quirking his mouth in a silly sort of smirk. "I don't know. I don't think I have one. I just like…color, you know?"

Blaine nodded, wondering how Kurt survived in such a predominantly neutral toned office.

"I've wanted to add some color to this office for a while now," Kurt commented, as if reading Blaine's thoughts. "But I'm so busy, I just can't find the time to interior decorate." He frowned as if this was a really important issue that needed to be fixed.

Blaine playfully gasped, biting his fist as if trying to hold back tears, "Oh God, the horror!"

"Shut it, Anderson," Kurt warned playfully, emptying out the remainder of his coffee. He peeked over the rim of the lid to make sure he hadn't taken things too far. He didn't want to offend Blaine. But his worries were unfounded as the talent scout grinned openly at him.

Their eyes found each other's naturally. They felt something shift at that moment. It was vague and enigmatic, but it was definite and good. Whatever they were, whatever they would become, they would always have this instinctual understanding; an intrinsic bond. It was comforting and a little terrifying all at once.

"Welp," Blaine said, popping the 'p' and standing to stretch his frame, "I should get going; my lunch break is almost over."

"Oh, yeah, work," Kurt said hurriedly, walking Blaine to the door, wishing he could just stay. "Thank you for the coffee and…listening." Their eyes locked, remembering the tears and intense minutes, "and…" Kurt took a deep breath. _It's okay. Blaine's….safe? Yes, _he decided, _Blaine's safe. _He may never want him as anything more than a friend, but friends was still more than Kurt deserved. _Whoa! More than a friend? No, no, no, I don't have crush…he's just kind...and funny…and beau-_he abruptly cut off that train of thought. He didn't need that sort of let down; he had had enough heart break already.

"Thanks for coming back." Kurt finally finished. The words came out in a whisper, as his eyes decided to study his shoes.

Then the warmth returned to his cheek. He looked up to find Blaine, cradling one side of his face with his large, slightly rough hand, smiling adoringly at him. He was slightly afraid that his heart would explode at that moment. He felt his body immediately move closer to the warmth as he leaned into the touch anchoring him to hope. He liked this very much…

"No need to thank me," Blaine smiled, "I can't help it if I like being around you." Wishing he could bite his tongue off, he managed to hold in his flinch at his own words. _Damn it, Blaine! _He chastised himself, _That was way out of line! Way too forward! _Because why would someone as beautiful as Kurt want to be with a curly headed fool who rambled too much and asked too many questions? Beyond that, Kurt was still hurting. It was arrogant of him to think that Kurt would trust him. He was just…Blaine. No one of consequence.

To his complete surprise and delight, Kurt didn't freak out or back away. Instead, he smiled one of those full on smiles that Blaine had only had the pleasure of seeing once. It was so heartbreakingly beautiful that the urge to kiss him grew almost tenfold. At that moment, Blaine knew he was falling in love.

"See you later, Kurt," Blaine said softly, dropping his hold on Kurt's delicate face and turning to leave the office. "Oh, and Kurt?" he remembered, deciding that it couldn't hurt if he was just telling the truth.

"Yes?" The tall mystery asked with wide eyes.

"Three for three. You look fantastic." And with that and a toothy grin, he turned and walked away.

Kurt was glad he walked away then, because he's pretty sure he swooned a little bit…or a lot.

The rest of Kurt's day was considerably better after Blaine's completely unexpected visit. He seemed to find his groove again as he worked on his new piece about fur making a comeback in large quantities.

About an hour before Kurt left, the receptionist at the front desk called to say he had a delivery. Wondering what he had ordered, he quickly made his way up to the front, only to find two large vases of flowers. They were both filled with a mixture of deep indigos and violets accompanied by tiny sprigs of bright yellow wild flowers. The vases were clear glass that could be used over and over again for so many different things; they were simplistic and timeless. They were absolutely gorgeous. Opening the little card attached to one, Kurt felt his heart positively melt.

_Kurt-_

_ To add some color to your office and a smile to your face._

_ -Blaine_

It was at that moment that Kurt knew he was falling in love.

**A/N: Oh sweet love! You gotta love love, right? So what did you think? Please leave a review or send me a PM! Oh, also, I wanted to tell any of you who may be reading 'In your Eyes' that I hope to have a new chapter up in the next couple of days, just FYI. I love you all!**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey everyone, sorry it's been so freaking long since I gave you a chapter. School started back up and I needed to figure out how I was going to balance my two fanfics and all of my new classes. It's been busy, let me tell you! Anyways, I'm not super crazy about this chapter, but I hope to start updating my stories pretty much weekly again…but we'll see! Anyways, I'll let you read now. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 6**

The next day, before Kurt could over think it, he had walked over to Lightning Records and, after sitting with Rachel for a while and chatting with their coffees, he took said coffee up to Blaine's office.

"Hey, you," Blaine blushed faintly when his greeting came out a tad flirtier than intended.

Kurt just smiled, either not noticing or not minding, and extended the Medium Drip he had brought for Blaine.

"What are you thanking me for?" Blaine teased, remembering that that seemed to be their way of showing gratitude.

"Oh, uh, well, nothing…I guess. I guess I just-" Kurt cut himself off, ducking his head sheepishly before sucking in a deep breath. _Oh just say it Hummel! _"I guess I j-just wanted to see you…" he trailed off awkwardly, glancing around the room, trying to avoid Blaine's eyes.

"I'm glad," Blaine replied softly, his eyes glinting with reassurance.

Kurt chanced a glance up after that to see Blaine smiling lightly at him with a distinct sparkle in his large hazel eyes. It made Kurt feel…welcome. It was a strange warm feeling that spread throughout his entire body. It made Kurt want to retreat; to stick his white flag into the ground and turn away. He felt as though he had to keep his guard up. After all, it was the only thing that had kept him somewhat safe these past few years. However, with Blaine's kind smile and inviting eyes, he dared himself to take one of the biggest risks he could; he sat down and relished in this feeling of acceptance and warmth.

After that moment, Kurt and Blaine's coffee non-dates became an almost daily thing. They fell so effortlessly into a pattern that it almost felt like second nature; like they had been doing this for years instead of a week. Usually, it was Kurt who brought the coffees over to Blaine, declaring that he liked lounging in Blaine's office more than his own, when the curly headed man had pouted about Kurt always paying.

After finding out that the flowers had been a smashing success and Kurt had timidly informed him that he smiled whenever he saw them perched on his black, cube-like end tables, Blaine had taken to sending fresh flowers to Kurt's office every week to replace last week's faintly wilted batch. Neither of them acknowledged what these flowers could mean; they paid no attention to what it usually meant when one person sent another person flowers. They never discussed them beyond Kurt's 'thank yous' and Blaine's normal smile and nod. It was almost as if a strange, silent agreement had been made between them.

Instead, their conversations usually stayed on safer topics such as interests and hobbies. Once in a while, Blaine would bring up a subject such as friends or family and the atmosphere in the room would shift. Kurt would hug his skinny legs tightly to his chest and answer with monosyllable words, never making eye contact. A few tears sometimes found their way down Kurt's cheeks, salty and damp, but Kurt seemed to be a tried and true professional at holding his tears at bay. However, Blaine's thumb was never far away, gently coaxing the droplets of moisture off of the alabaster canvas stretched over Kurt's prominent cheek bones. A second of cradling Kurt's face in his hands and then they would be off on their next topic of conversation. That was another one of their unspoken agreements: Never talk about the crying. It went unsaid, and neither of them really thought much of it.

On the opposite side of the spectrum of emotions, Blaine was learning how to make Kurt smile. It was slow going at first. It seemed like every time Kurt was getting ready to unleash one of his face splitting, heartbreakingly gorgeous smiles, he would bite his bottom lip and attempt to contain it as a small, bashful smile. But after 2 weeks of their coffee non-dates, Blaine had succeeded in pulling a few, still rare, genuine smiles from the tall beauty.

Kurt was still reserved and timid, but he stuttered less and had bursts of sharp wit that would leave Blaine floored with amusement and astonishment; almost like Kurt had just forgotten to be afraid, forgotten to be sad. Blaine, on the other hand, felt so immediately comfortable with Kurt that he had quickly resorted to his naturally geeky and enthusiastic self around the other man, repeatedly making himself look like an utter fool. Kurt didn't seem to mind though.

On this particular day, not quite 3 weeks into their coffee non-dates, Blaine was rushing out of his office as he quickly fished his cell out of his pocket and called his favorite fashion journalist.

"Hello?" Kurt answered, the sound of his ever bustling office in the background.

"Hey, Kurt," Blaine answered, unable to keep the smile off of his face as he narrowly dodged an intern with a tower of coffee cups, flying to the conference room.

"Oh, hi Blaine," he could almost see the blush that just had to be creeping up onto Kurt's face "what's up?"

"I can't do coffee today," Blaine sighed as he reached the conference room that the intern had swept into, "I have this marathon meeting thing today. We're signing a new singer and these meetings typically take a while."

"Oh," Kurt replied, sadness tainting his voice, "um…okay. So…I-I'll see you tomorrow?"

It was juvenile and it was silly, but Blaine really didn't want to have to go a whole day without seeing Kurt. He was so accustomed to him breezing through his office doors, blushing the whole way, that he made an impulse decision, desperate not to miss his time with Kurt.

"Wait!" he said, a tad too loud and drawing the attention of his coworkers in the conference room, "just come by after work," he suggested, "we can go get coffee together."

"Blaine, by the time we get to the coffee shop, it will be well after six." Kurt said, "Don't you think that's a little late for coffee?"

"I mean, if you like sleeping at night, maybe," Blaine joked and was rewarded with a small giggle from his calling companion. On another impulse, Blaine pushed ahead, "Alright, then we'll make it dinner."

There were a few seconds of dead silence, only interrupted by the barely audible sound of Kurt's breath hitching just a tad. Besides the moving day debacle, the two men had never ventured outside of the office together. It was adding another layer to their friendship. It was acknowledging the fact that they enjoyed each other's company enough to make time outside of the normal routine to see each other. Perhaps it really wasn't that big of a deal, but Kurt hadn't made a friend in years. It felt strange, yet very, very nice all the same.

"Um…okay. Yeah, that sounds-okay, sure, I-I'll be there." Kurt managed to stutter out.

"Great!" Blaine chirped, trying to reign in his excitement, "You get off at 6, right?" a quite yes answered from down the line, "Perfect, I'll see you a little after."

He hit the red end call button and tried to wipe the goofy grin off of his face.

"Dinner plans, Anderson?" Wes chirped, smiling smugly at his friend and coworker.

"Maybe…" Blaine said, trying to hide his giddiness and looking remarkably like a 5 year old suppressing his glee.

"Uh-huh," Wes cocked his eyebrow and peered back to Blaine, "and it wouldn't happen to be that tall, beautiful slice of man you've had in your office every day for the past few weeks, would it?"

"Wes!" Blaine hissed, looking around as if suspecting Kurt to be right behind him.

"Oh, please! It's not like we haven't all seen him;" Jeff chimed in, "your office is _glass_, Blaine."

Blaine blushed a little, wondering how many people had seen him grinning dopily at Kurt for the last few weeks.

"So, you're taking him out to dinner tonight?" Wes asked, getting back to his original question.

"Okay, no, it's not like that," Blaine quickly explained, knowing exactly what they were thinking, "we're friends, and that's it. Since we can't have coffee today, we're going to grab a bite to eat after work." He tried to make it seem as casual as possible, even if the thought of having dinner with Kurt was making his stomach do back flips.

"Together." David supplied, his tone adding the _obviously._

"Yes, together." Blaine answered, ducking his head a little because he could feel that all too familiar grin creeping onto his lips.

"And you're friends." David stated, eyebrows nearly melting into his hairline with disbelief.

"Yes."

"But you're smitten."

"Yes-NO!" Blaine tried to 'correct' himself quickly, but, based on the grins that had overtaken everyone's faces simultaneously, they didn't believe him for a second. However, before anyone could answer, a secretary appeared in the doorway, announcing that their new talent was here. She stepped aside to reveal a young man, probably close to their age, with dark, brunette hair and big brown eyes. Those eyes nervously scanned the room and its inhabitants before locking onto Jeff and widening a little.

"H-hi," the young man greeted, quickly composing himself and flashing a strikingly white smile that was ready for the magazines already. He went around the room and shook each of the 4 man's hands. When he reached Jeff, their handshake seemed to last just a little longer than the rest. Suddenly remembered the rest of his salutation, he spoke directly to Jeff. "I'm Nick Duval."

"Jeff…Sterling." He said slowly, eyes never leaving their new musician.

The rest of the room watched with amusement and disbelief that the two of them were really this love-struck in the middle of a room full of other people, and a business meeting on top of it all.

Blaine couldn't stop himself from wondering if this was how he looked at Kurt. And more importantly, if Kurt looked at _him_ like that.

*~Line Break~*

Six o'clock couldn't come soon enough. The meeting had taken hours, as was to be expected, but it shouldn't have lasted as long as it did. But Jeff just had to keep talking and getting them off subject. Once Nick and Jeff got talking, they were gone. It was like their faces froze into permanent smiles and they completely locked into their own little world. It was adorable in the beginning, but after three hours of this, and hardly getting any work done, Wes had hastily suggested that they didn't need everyone there and asked Jeff to finish things up with Nick, to which he readily agreed.

A light knocking broke Blaine out of his thoughts as Kurt smiled shyly from behind the glass door. Shooting a smile towards the tall man, Blaine grabbed his coat and keys before stepping out of his office.

"Hey," Blaine greeted anticlimactically. He began making his way towards the elevator as Kurt followed silently beside.

As they passed the conference room, Blaine saw Jeff and Nick, still sitting together leaning towards one another, speaking animatedly about something or another.

"Oh wow, really?" Blaine couldn't help but comment to himself, stopping to nod his head towards the oblivious duo.

"What?" Kurt asked curiously, following Blaine's gaze to see the two men.

"The blonde one is Jeff. He's a publicist who also likes to dabble in song writing. That's actually how we became friends. And that-" he said, pointing to the brunette, "is Nick; the new musician we just signed."

Kurt nodded thoughtfully, taking in all the new info while keeping his eyes on the two guys. "Have they known each other for a while?" he asked, noting their comfort and ease around each other.

"Nope," Blaine smiled, popping the 'p', "they met about four hours ago."

Kurt's eyes bugged subtly as he cocked his head to the side slightly. "Oh. They look...cozy." he explained, finally looking back to Blaine.

"I know, right? It was like love at first sight or something." He shrugged, and began walking towards the elevators again, Kurt following silently behind.

The elevator ride was peacefully quiet until Kurt asked timidly, "Do you believe in love at first sight?"

Blaine felt the reddening of his cheeks, but decided to ignore it in favor of really thinking about his answer. Did he? "I…believe in attraction at first sight," he began, b_ecause I felt it with you, _his mind added, "and I believe in…unexplainable…feelings on first sight." _Because I can't explain why you meant so much to me before I even knew you, _"I believe in fate and two people being…pulled towards one another, but love? I don't know about _love _at first sight." He looked up to see Kurt staring at him, eyes alight with curiosity and questions. "Because love is a product of _knowing_ someone. It's about getting to know someone and sticking with them no matter what; no matter what they've done or been through or will do." Blaine paused, shrugging as if his opinion was silly, "True love is definite."

Kurt broke eye contact to watch the numbers signaling the descending floors. "No matter what?"

Blaine studied Kurt's elegant profile and saw tears glistening lightly in his pale blue eyes. "Yes." He reassured him gently, "No matter what." He wasn't really sure why his words hit Kurt so hard, and in all honesty, he wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about anymore, but he was pretty certain it wasn't just about Blaine's thoughts on love anymore; it was being applied to something greater. But what?

*~Line Break~*

Blaine ended up leading Kurt to a small bistro just a few doors down from the coffee shop they went to. He had never been to this restaurant, but he had heard that their food was to die for. _What better way to test it than with Kurt? _Blaine thought optimistically.

The bistro wasn't very big, but that just made it all the cozier. It had a few wrought iron chairs and tables outside on the patio, but due to the cold weather of a New York November, no one was seated there. The inside was dark due to the dark wood floors and the deep red walls, and the warm yellow lighting from the over head lamps was dim as well, making the inside look toasty; like a sanctuary from the cold winter air.

Blaine couldn't stop himself from opening the door for Kurt, but he refrained from pulling his chair out for him, deciding that that may be a little much. Blaine was glad when the hostess led them to a table close to the brick fireplace that was boasting a pretty nice blaze right now; Kurt's translucent skin didn't seem to offer him much protection from the cold. It took so much effort on Blaine's part not to reach out and hold at least one of Kurt's shivering hands, but besides the occasional thumb across his cheek to wipe away tears, Blaine had never really touched Kurt. It's not that he didn't want to, oh God no, but Kurt was still very withdrawn. While he seemed to be finding it easier to talk and share his thoughts, physical contact still made him recoil.

"So you said that you and Jeff became friends because he wrote songs? So…you write songs too?" Kurt asked as he settled himself in his seat, angling towards the fire to warm himself.

Blaine nodded, sipping the water that the waiter had placed before them. "Yup, since I was a kid."

"Do you still write?"

"When I have time." Blaine answered, "It's the perfect way to unwind after a long day."

Kurt looked at him curiously, pursing his lips slightly. "Why are you a talent scout then? Why don't you write or something?"

Blaine couldn't help but let out a small, tired laugh, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. He asked himself this same question over and over again, almost every day. "Um…well…my dad." He decided to be completely honest; he doubted Kurt would ever judge him about anything.

"What about your dad?" Kurt questioned.

"It one of those classic 'art isn't a real job' kind of stories," Blaine laughed humorlessly, "You see, ever since I was little I wanted to be a musician. I took up piano and eventually I fell in love with guitar. So I started writing songs and singing. My parents didn't really mind until I started high school, and then they decided that it wasn't cute anymore." He stopped and took a deep breath, running his hands through his hair before letting them drop roughly back down to the table. "It was either buckle down and choose some sort of business career or get kicked out. I didn't have anywhere to go, though. I mean, none of my family was supportive of a career in performance, and I didn't have a lot of friends cause…well…it was Ohio…and I'm gay, so…" he trailed off awkwardly, staring down at the white table cloth covering the small wooden table.

A faint warmth fell over one of his hands and his eyes immediately flew up to see a pale, slender hand gently resting on top of his. He felt his heart freeze for a second as his eyes wildly shot up to Kurt's.

Kurt looked nervous and horribly uncertain, but he swallowed it back to say, "I g-get it. I mean…not the b-bad parents or anything-" he abruptly cut himself off, aware that he had just insulted Blaine's parents.

"No it's okay, their jerks; we're in agreement here," Blaine reassured with a smirk.

Kurt visibly relaxed and continued. "But I get the loneliness. I grew up in Ohio too, you know."

Blaine smiled and nodded; he had learned this during one of their coffee non-dates.

"I'm just really sorry, Blaine," Kurt whispered, slowly sliding his hand off of Blaine's, looking timid again, "You deserve better." Something clouded over Kurt's eyes, but it was gone in a flash, covered up with an unreadable wall.

When the waiter came to take their dinner orders, Blaine protested when Kurt ordered a small salad and nothing else.

"I don't want to get fat," Kurt had explained. It was probably meant to be jokingly said, but the way he self-consciously glancing down at his body for a split-second gave his words away as a true concern.

"Really, Kurt? You couldn't be fat if you tried," Blaine said with a playful eye roll that had an edge of seriousness. Kurt was a little _too_ thin and his lack of eating made Blaine's heart hurt a little. _I wonder what Spencer said? _His mind spat out viciously; hating how the name sounded even in thought. It seemed like every single one of Kurt's insecurities seemed to link back to his ex. Perhaps that was hyperbolic, but it seemed like a good place to start.

However, Kurt just shrugged and said he wasn't all that hungry.

Conversation flowed easily between the two of them as they ate their meals. They stuck to lighter topics and eventually settled on the subject of Christmas.

"I love New York at Christmas time; it's almost unreal." Blaine smiled as their plates were being cleared away.

Kurt nodded his agreement, but shrugged his shoulders. "I always feel like there is so much I've missed out on seeing."

"What do you mean?" Blaine asked curiously, tilting his head a tad to the side.

"Well, by the time I got here, I was already shoulder deep in school and then eventually, my job at Vogue." He paused for a second, seemingly trying to decide whether or not to keep going. He squared his shoulders minutely and trudged ahead. "And then I met Spencer," he said a hair quieter, "and I just…I just didn't have time anymore when my first New York City Christmas rolled around. I didn't have time to go do the cliché things or see the sites." He shrugged as if it was just an irreversible, unfortunate event that he had resigned himself to live with.

"And by _didn't have time, _you mean…?" Blaine asked cautiously.

"This was early in our relationship; things didn't get bad until about a year in. I really just didn't have time." Once again Kurt shrugged his frail shoulders and looked down at the table in front of him.

"So, you've never been strolling through a snowy Central Park?" Blaine asked incredulously.

"Nope." Kurt answered, eyes now looking into the fire.

"You've never had hot chocolate in Times Square?"

"No."

"We'll then, we're just going to have to fix that, now won't we?"

At the use of _we, _Kurt's eyes flittered over to Blaine and pinned him with a questioning look. At the same time, there was so much hope in his eyes, that Blaine felt a smile beginning to tug at the corner of his lips.

"How?" Kurt finally asked.

Blaine broke into a winning smile, pleased that Kurt hadn't turned him down. "How about next weekend, I take you to do all of these things on your list?"

Kurt blushed a little and ducked his head.

"Oh my God, there really is a list, isn't there?" Blaine asked, laughing through his words. His eyes were shining with amusement and he couldn't keep himself from giggling like a school girl.

"Maybe." Kurt said sassily, his confidence making one of its momentary appearances. "So sue me. I was a small town kid in high school getting ready to move to the greatest city on earth. Of course I had a list." And he topped it all off with a dainty little scoff.

_A dainty scoff! _Blaine marveled, _I didn't even know that was possible._

"Alright, then I'll help you through the list…if you want me to, I mean…" Blaine ended awkwardly. He didn't want to force Kurt to share these moments with him; they were supposed to be special, and he didn't want to ruin that.

"Yes," Kurt said quietly, his sassy side locked away again, "I would like if you came."

Blaine didn't even try to stop the smile that spread across his face after hearing that. He also didn't try to stop smiling when Kurt pouted over the dessert he ordered, but still ate a few forkfuls. He was pretty sure he smiled the rest of the night. Especially when he got to walk Kurt back to Rachel's and Kurt turned to him at the front steps, reached out, and squeezed his hand very, very briefly, but it happened. He couldn't help but think that things may be looking up.

**A/N: Alright guys, I hope your liking the nice light fluffyish things so far, because, warning, they aren't going to last (aw yeah, foreshadowing). But what did you think? Leave a review or send me a PM; you know I love hearing from you. Love you guys!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hola, everyone! It took me a while to pen this chapter, but overall, I think I'm pretty happy with it and I hope you are too. Thanks to all of you who are reading, favoriting, following and reviewing. I'm so glad people are actually enjoying this story; I put a lot of work into it and it's nice to see it being appreciated, so thank you guys! Anyways, I guess I should let you all read now, shouldn't I? Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 7**

For Blaine, the weekend couldn't come fast enough. It was finally Friday, but the wait until Saturday seemed positively endless. Any moment he was unoccupied or his brain wasn't actively engaged in a task, his thoughts would wonder to his best friend. _Best friend? _Blaine couldn't help but think with a start, wondering if Kurt had really replaced Wes, David and Jeff as his best friend in only the matter of a handful of weeks. Kurt knew more about Blaine then most people; the soft, caring vibe that radiated from the pale beauty put Blaine at ease and loosened his tongue, forgetting to be self-conscious or withdrawn and just…_be. _

So, yes, perhaps Kurt really _was _his best friend now, and, God willing, perhaps someday he could be something…more? But Blaine beat that train of thought back like a farmer does to oncoming locusts. Not only was it dangerous to himself to let himself believe that someone as caring, sweet and gorgeous as Kurt could return any level of affection beyond friendship towards the frizzy haired nerd that he was, but it felt wrong to think about Kurt romantically when Kurt had so much healing to do.

Kurt finally seemed able to fight off a flinch when someone he knew got closer to him or touched him, but he very, very rarely instigated contact of his own volition. And while Kurt's biting humor and legendary sass (as Blaine had heard Rachel once label it) made small appearances here and there, he still walked on egg shells around people, head down, shoulders drawn in in a protective posture, as if he was expecting the world to throw an insult or a fist at any given moment. He skirted around heavier topics but at least he would offer brief explanations instead of shutting off entirely, Blaine couldn't help but notice with a hint of pride.

Blaine knew that his pride was most likely misplaced but, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't completely stomp out the feeling that he had just a little something to do with Kurt's ability to smile a little easier than he had even a month ago. And Blaine was happy to help. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he loved Kurt's smile, especially the rare, huge ones that lit up his entire face. Blaine was, however, a little embarrassed at just how _much _he loved Kurt's smiles. Sure, Blaine had decided that it was very likely he was possibly, sort of… kind of…maybe…_fallinginlovewithKurt_, but while his heart seemed to burst with this realization, his brain seemed to scoff at the very notion. _Love? _his mind would fire back, _At first sight? You're in love after a few weeks? Get a grip… _And while he had fact after fact, logical compilations of data and experiences on his mind's side, that made perfect analytical sense, he would see Kurt's swirling sea-like eyes and that faint dash of freckles sprinkled over the pale angel's nose and cheeks and his heart would pound, love coursing through his veins and out to every last inch of every last limb. It was ridiculous, it was improbable, it was childish, it was-

"Ah-maaaazzzzing!" Jeff said on a long exhale, dropping back into his seat in the conference room where the 4 friends were just starting to tuck into their lunches of Chinese takeout. They had just finished a meeting with Nick Duval about possible tour destinations in the next 6 months or so. While Blaine was a little upset about having to wait to see Kurt until later, Jeff was over the moon. "We went to this little sushi bar down in Soho and then just walked around for, like, _3 hours, _just talking and laughing. _He held my hand!_" And even though Jeff had been talking about Nick nearly nonstop since they had met nearly a week ago, the dopey grin that stretched across Jeff's face was enough to make the 3 other men smile back at him and forget their aggravation at the repetitive line of conversation.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to be dating the talent?" David asked, spearing a water chestnut and popping it in his mouth with a thoughtful expression. "I mean, you're sort of his boss; you're part of his management team."

"I know," Jeff said seriously, "and we talked about that and decided that we would just have to be professional in the office and with all business matters. We'll keep work and play separated as much as possible."

"So the heart eyes you two were throwing at each other were strictly work related?" Wes teased, spinning a chopstick between his fingers like drummer.

Jeff sighed dramatically and dropped his head back, abandoning the task of scarfing down his fried rice. "Guh, you guys are such buzz kills!"

None of the men refuted that statement and just chuckled lightly, continuing to eat their food.

After a small silence, Jeff cautiously spoke up again. "I can't _not _date him, guys. I…I think he could be the one…"

Three pairs of eyes shot up to stare intently at Jeff; gazes ranging from confused to thunder-struck.

"Like…_the one _the one?" Blaine finally broke the silence, mouth full of beef and broccoli.

"Well, duh…there's only one of _the one." _Jeff scoffed playfully.

"B-but…how can you be sure?" Blaine dared to ask, finally swallowing his mouthful and turning his full attention towards his love-struck friend. He tried futilely to deny the fact that he just might be asking for advice on his own situation with Kurt.

"I'm not _sure, _not really." Jeff shrugged, poking at his food in an almost bashful manner and avoiding eye contact. "I just feel this-this…_thing _in my gut whenever he's around that I've never felt before. I feel it in my bones, in my blood, in my _soul."_

"What about your mind?" Blaine blurted before he could censor himself.

Jeff gave him a confused look before answering with, "Since when did love become a matter of the brain?"

_Oh. _Blaine felt his head begin to swim a little. _It wasn't. It never has been...wow, I feel stupid. _It finally made sense.At the thought that he, Blaine Anderson, was falling in love, if not already completely there, he realized that, sure, he didn't know everything there was to know about Kurt, but he w_anted _to. He was _willing _to. His heart _and _his mind were open and willing. Blaine just reminded himself that the heart works in mysterious ways.

*~Line Break~*

With another stack of old files in his arms, Blaine found himself trying to whittle away his final hour until Kurt showed up for dinner by taking the stairs down 4 floors and visiting Rachel.

"Busy day?" he asked as he plopped down in her only open chair across from her desk and gingerly slid his stack of folders onto the beaten wood edge of her desk. Her entire work space seemed to be filled with multitudes of folders and files, towering heaps of paper and an overflowing trashcan.

"You have no idea," she huffed, dropping her current packet of paper back down to her desk and leaning back, rubbing soothing circles into her temples in hopes of staving off the massive headache that threatened to overtake her. "I thought spring cleaning was supposed to happen in, you know, THE SPRING! Not the beginning of _December!" _

"I can take these to someone else if you want me to? Lighten the load." Blaine offered, gesturing to his stack of files.

"No, no, it's okay. For you, anything." She smiled happily, even going as far as picking it up and placing it on the top of her to-do pile, making it next in line. "Especially since you've been making Kurt smile so much lately…" she said, feigning disinterest; as if she had just thrown it out there as an afterthought.

"I'm just being friendly," Blaine said cautiously, a tad nervous. He had witnessed first-hand how protective Rachel was of Kurt. Would she encourage the budding friendship or see it as undesirable?

"So, you have coffee with him Monday through Friday just to be _nice?" _Rachel asked with raised brows. She began twirling the ends of her hair and cocked her head, trying to look obliviously innocent._ "_Geez, Blaine, I know you're a good guy, but you don't have to pretend to be his friend by spending so much free time with him."

Scrambling over his own words, Blaine leaned forward on instinct. "Pretend? I'm not _pretending! _He's a nice, funny, sweet guy who helps me de-stress in the middle of my work day and has a sarcastic wit about him that I find hilarious. I'm not pretending; he really _is_ my friend. I-"

"Whoa, calm down there," Rachel giggled, holding a hand up like a stop sign. "I was just kidding…mostly…"

"What do you mean 'mostly'?" Blaine asked, almost scared to ask.

Rachel bit her lip a little unsurely. Her big, brown eyes flittered over his face for a few seconds, almost as if she were trying to gage his reaction to her next sentence. "It just…well, it kind of seems like you might like him as…more than a friend?" She ended it like a question, something a kin to a faint hope sparkling in her eyes.

_Am I really _that _obvious? _Blaine internally groaned. Even with the grain of hope that seemed to be swimming in Rachel's eyes, he couldn't bring himself to just come out and say it. "I mean, he's very…attractive," Blaine had to clear his throat embarrassingly enough to get around the sudden blush that was undoubtedly flushing his cheeks. "and, like I said, he's funny and nice, so he would probably make a really good…boyfriend," his knees felt weak at the very _idea _of Kurt being his boyfriend and suddenly found himself very grateful that he was sitting instead of standing. "But…we're just friends. Nothing more."

Rachel nodded her head thoughtfully, looking just the slightest bit crest fallen. "Oh…Okay then." Suddenly, her eyes flashed fiercely, just like the Rachel Berry that Blaine was accustomed to. "I don't think I believe you, but I'll accept it for now." She topped it off with showily squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin in her trademark confident expression.

"I…uh…" Blaine faltered a little, unsure how exactly he should respond. "Okay."

It was silent for a few seconds before Blaine checked his new wrist watch and stood up. "I should get back to my office." He hesitated to add _why _he needed to leave after their conversation, but sighed and decided to just finish with, "Kurt's going to be here soon for dinner."

Rachel nodded, that soft look of hope drifting back into her gaze.

Blaine turned his back and was in the doorway when he heard Rachel quietly address him. "It would be okay if you liked him, you know. As more than just a friend." She paused for a moment, but continued in her soft, innocent voice, very nearly sounding like a young, hopeful child. "You would be good for him…And he would be good for you." Blaine still hadn't turned around. He just stood stalk still, listening intently with a rigid back. "I think he likes you too." Rachel finished very softly, sounding uncertain and gentle; definitely different for the rising starlet.

Blaine didn't turn around, he didn't nod, he hardly even breathed. When he finally remembered how to walk again, he just strode out into the hallway and towards the elevator thinking over and over again, _I think he likes you too, I think he likes you too, I think he likes you too…_

*~Line Break~*

His office wasn't empty like he thought it would be. There, in all his porcelain-like beauty, stood Kurt. The willowy man was facing away from the door, captivated by the stunning view of New York that Blaine's floor to ceiling windows provided. Since it was December, the sun set relatively early, meaning that the lights of buildings and the traffic below were beginning to shine through the evening dusk.

"Hi," Blaine greeted quietly, not wanting to startle the unsuspecting man.

He was mostly successful as Kurt only jumped minutely and turned to flash a small smile over his shoulder and return with a quiet, "Hello." And with that, he turned back around to gaze out the windows once more.

"So," Blaine began, walking slowly over to Kurt and standing by his side, eyes mirroring Kurt's and admiring the view. "what do you want to do for dinner?" It was a simple enough question that, for whatever reason, sent a thrill through his body. They had plans together…dinner plans!… _Oh God, now I sound like Wes…_Blaine sighed internally.

"Oh, um, I actually brought something for us?" Kurt said nervously, flicking his gaze over to Blaine whilst biting his bottom lip. "I hope that's okay, I just, well I made it last night 'cause I found this really good recipe for cheese ravioli, and I know you like it 'cause it's what you got when we went to that bistro last Friday, and, well, I really like to cook so I thought, you know, maybe you wouldn't mind and-"

"You cooked for me?" Blaine asked in an astonished voice and cutting off Kurt's adorable ramblings.

Kurt shrugged slightly and avoided Blaine's gaze as he continued surveying the city.

"You didn't have to do that you know." Blaine said, feeling that familiar blush beginning to heat his face and thanking the heavens that he hadn't turned any lights on in his office; allowing the city lights to provide everything with a soft glow, and, sub sequentially, masking the current coloration of his face.

"I know, but I wanted to…to thank you…" Kurt said quietly, his voice breaking so softly that it was almost indistinguishable. Blaine heard it, however, and settled his eyes on the countertenor who never turned his way as he shakily began to speak. "F-for being so nice to me. I-I've been s-so…so…" Kurt huffed out an irritated sound as he failed to propel the words through his lips. Not like he really needed to though.

Blaine could fill in the blanks himself. _I've been so…lonely, I've been so… scared. _Very carefully, with a heart that was pounding in confusion between joy that Kurt seemed to trust him and pain that Kurt had endured far too much for his liking, Blaine gently touched his fingers to the back of Kurt's hand. It wasn't an attempt to hold it; it was simply letting Kurt know that he didn't stand alone anymore. Blaine was _here, _and he wasn't running. We wasn't going to break Kurt down or spit in the face of his dreams. He was _here. _

"Well not anymore." Blaine replied evenly, stroking the back of Kurt's hand lightly with feather like touches.

Kurt's sigh almost sounded like a whimper as it came rushing out of him. Blaine averted his eyes from the city and looked towards the trembling man. Even though Kurt was trembling and his eyes sparkled with unshed tears, the look of his pale skin and flawless, silk-like hair looked absolutely breathtaking in the glow of the city lights.

"I'm scared for tomorrow, Blaine," Kurt confided in a tear-laden voice. "I-I'm scared that you'll see my list and think I'm positively r-ridiculous. Some p-pathetic man who-who has _wasted _his time doing nothing. I'm s-scared that you won't h-have fun a-and you'll-you'll…I don't know!" he huffed once again as his brain refused to cooperate with his mouth.

"Kurt," Blaine cut in softly, "you're a smart man, so stop assuming the worst, okay?" Kurt only shook his head sullenly and kept his eyes glued to the city outside. Very carefully, trying not to over think what he was about to do, Blaine took his right arm and gently put it around Kurt's shaking shoulders, his palm lightly cupping Kurt's bony right shoulder.

"And even if we don't have fun, which I highly doubt, one of two things will happen. You can go home, no feelings hurt, or we can find something that _is _fun. Trust me."

Kurt began shivering harder at that, his body practically vibrating now with the suppression of sobs. He took a deep breath and said oh so quietly, "T-the last man I-I trusted was S-spencer."

_Oh. _Blaine's mind stopped, grinding to a halt. _I'm the first person he has instilled his trust in since Spencer? Wait! ...He trusts me? _Blaine gently squeezed Kurt's shoulder but didn't dare pull him closer. A casual arm around the shoulders was the farthest Blaine was comfortable pushing Kurt with and even _this _was monumental.

The room became very quiet after that. Blaine wasn't really sure if he knew how to respond or if words were even very appropriate at that moment.

"I like your watch," Kurt whispered, his voice breaking as a single tear cascaded down his cheek. He wrapped both of his hands around Blaine's wrist where it was resting on his shoulder and pulled it down to look at the accessory. The tug brought Blaine in closer and as Kurt continued to pull his arm down, he ended up behind Kurt, watching the city over the slender man's shoulder. "Is it new?" His voice shook so badly his words were becoming muddled slightly as another tear fell warm and wet down his cheek.

"Yes." Blaine replied just as quietly, watching Kurt intently now. The lithe man seemed to be expending incredible amounts of energy to hold his tears in. All of the fear, the doubts and the pain he had was rearing its ugly head and roaring in his mind; Blaine could see it in his swirling eyes. But, even though Kurt couldn't see it, he was so very strong as he held the tears back and shook with the effort.

With a steel-like grip around Blaine's wrist, just above the watch, that betrayed Kurt's casual words, he continued in his shattered voice. "It's very n-nice. It's s-sleek a-and masculine. G-goes with e-everthing." his words continued to tumble out of his mouth in trembling phrases caught by hitched breaths. Without breaking his praise of the watch, he pried his left hand off of Blaine's wrist and sent it out to collect Blaine's other wrist and slowly bring it to wrap around him. Kurt didn't even acknowledge what he was doing, almost liked he hoped he could do it without anyone noticing.

But Blaine noticed. He now stood behind Kurt with both of his wrists locked in white-knuckled grips, as his arms wrapped delicately around Kurt's waist. He laid his hands flat on Kurt's stomach, unmoving and unthreatening. He didn't make a sound as Kurt's rambling continued, drone like except with a definite waver in every word; his tears finally stopped as the shaking intensified. Kurt was letting Blaine in and he was terrified.

"…and I a-appreciate t-the craftsmen s-ship. I-it has a c-certain e-elegance that I l-like a-and admire…"

As Blaine heard _I just want to be held._

"…Gucci m-makes an ex-excellent w-watch, e-even though they are m-mainly known for t-their women's p-pieces…"

As Blaine heard _Please don't hurt me; don't make me regret this._

"I-I…t-think it's reliable m-material a-and it k-keeps precise t-time. It is ma-made well. Reliable, d-dependable and a work o-of art…"

As Blaine heard _Please don't make me explain; not now._

So Blaine didn't. He merely stood behind Kurt, his arms becoming a little bit snugger around him, pulling him just a tiny bit closer as Kurt's hands gripped the cuffs of his suit jacket hard enough to pulverize a rock to dust. Their eyes fixated on the bustling city stretched before them.

Eventually, Kurt's grip loosened slowly and Blaine released Kurt from his arms. Eventually they ate the dinner Kurt had brought. They didn't turn the lights on as they ate, both sitting in the guest chairs of Blaine's office. One by one, the office emptied out until they were the last ones there, taking their time as they chatted lightly and happily. Eventually, they grabbed their things and Blaine insisted on walking Kurt home. And this time, when they reached the front stoop of the apartment building, Kurt patted Blaine on the shoulder, slid his hand down the length of his arm and ended by squeezing Blaine's fingers, promising to see him tomorrow.

They never talked about what they both knew had happen. They didn't mention the crying or bring up the gravity of the situation; the words between the lines. Because, by now, they knew that they had time for that later. Neither of them was going anywhere.

*~Line Break~*

The morning dawned cold and cloudy, a traditional winter's day. Kurt woke a good three hours before Blaine was due to pick him up in hopes of creating the perfect outfit. Not that he wanted to impress Blaine or anything, no, not at _all. _

He hopped into the shower, taking extra time to use his favorite vanilla scented body scrub to exfoliate and hydrate his skin. He blew his hair dry carefully and styled it into the coif to end all coifs. Once each hair was in place and out of his face, he did his morning skin care regime, smoothing lotion after lotion into his skin gently. He brushed his teeth, triple checked his hair, and went back into his room to find the perfect outfit.

Flinging open his closet doors, Kurt began the daunting task of sifting through his massive wardrobe. Skinny jeans were a must, as they were not only warm, but a staple in his closet, so he found his favorite pair in a dark wash. Next up was a shirt. Choices, choices, choices. He thought about just donning a plain v-neck t-shirt, but he decided to spice it up a little by switching it out for his favorite charcoal gray Henley. He pulled a black vest on that cinched perfectly at his waist. _I could stand to lose at _least _a few pounds, _Kurt though idly as he buttoned the vest closed. As a finishing touch, he added a bright, cornflower blue broach to the ensemble for a splash of color. It was a stylishly scripted 'K' that was both elegant yet simple; a personal favorite of Kurt's. He decided on his black Doc Martens and laced them onto his feet and placed a dark black pea coat and a cornflower blue scarf on the hook next to the door so he could grab them easily before he left. The old list from high school was tucked deep inside the pocket of his coat so he wouldn't forget it.

Realizing he had about thirty minutes left until Blaine arrived, Kurt sat down with a cup of coffee, hoping to stave off the hunger of his stomach asking for breakfast. _I really don't need it, _he reasoned with himself, looking down at his stomach with a frown.

"Good morning!" Rachel chirped, skipping into the kitchen in her pink, fluffy robe and getting herself a cup of coffee before joining Kurt on the couch. "You look nice today," she commented, taking a sip. Kurt just raised an eyebrow at her questioningly. "I mean, you look good _every day, _Kurt, but especially good today." She quirked an eyebrow in return, silently asking for an explanation.

Kurt just blushed the slightest hint and dropped his gaze into his coffee mug.

"It wouldn't be because of a certain man who is taking you out for the day, would it? A man who happens to be extremely attractive, kind and likes to have coffee with you every single week day?" She giggled as Kurt rolled his eyes, but blushed a little harder.

"No," he said adamantly, "I just haven't worn this broach in a while and it deserves nothing less than a kick ass outfit to go with it."

"Oh, right, right, absolutely," Rachel said in a mock serious voice before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

The doorbell rang just as Rachel was trying to compose herself. Kurt sprung off of the couch and nearly leapt to the door. He quickly yanked the door out of his way and found a smiling Blaine on the other side.

"Hey, are you all ready to go? It's okay if you're not, because I know I'm like, 15 minutes early, but I just couldn't really wait any more and-"

"No, I'm ready." Kurt replied, cutting off the incredibly cute ramblings of the curly haired man. "Just let me grab my coat."

Kurt stepped aside and shrugged himself into his coat and looped the scarf around his neck.

"Bye Rachel," he shot over his shoulder as he turned around and let Blaine lead them out of the apartment building.

The cold December air hit them in the face as the descended the front steps down to the sidewalk.

"You look really nice today, by the way," Blaine said shyly, his hand buried deep in his coat pockets and his cheeks rosy, either from the cold or bashfulness.

"Thank you," Kurt replied simply, "so do you." And it was true. Kurt couldn't help but admire the way Blaine's dark wash jeans clung to him in a loose, casual way. The magenta and gray checked button down he was wearing looked wonderful on him and, while Kurt loved his signature bowties, he couldn't deny the fact that a little bit of Blaine's throat on display was not a bad trade off at all.

"Thank you." Blaine chuckled and glanced over to Kurt who was walking beside him. "So let's see this list, shall we?"

Carefully, Kurt pulled the paper from his pocket. It was on lined notebook paper torn from his calculus notes and was well creased from being folded and unfolded so many times. It wasn't a very big list, but back in high school, Kurt didn't know too much about New York, so it was the best, most comprehensive list he could draft.

He unfolded it carefully and handed it over to Blaine, deciding to leap in head first. Today would require trust, so he might as well start now.

Blaine looked it over, reading every item on the list and them smiled hugely at Kurt. "We can totally do all of this in one day! Granted, we might not be able to spend ample amounts of time in any one place, but he can definitely hit every spot. Strolling through a snowy central park will be a breeze since we got the last snow fall a few days ago, and I know a great little café down by the park that has the perfect hot chocolate. Seeing Time's square during the Christmas season is a taxi ride away at any point of our day." Blaine seemed really, truly excited about spending the day traversing a city he already knew. He was practically bouncing on his toes.

Kurt smiled, a genuine smile, at his enthusiasm. Silently, however, he was breathing a sigh of relief, counting the lucky stars he didn't know he had, that Blaine hadn't flipped the paper over and seen the lone number 4 on the back. He would most likely die of embarrassment if Blaine had seen that one. It had been written by a naïve high school student who was lonely and still believed in happy endings. He didn't need to _show _Blaine just how pathetic he was, he would probably figure it out by the end of the day all on his own anyways.

*~Line Break~*

"So you've never been shopping in Times Square before?" Blaine said with a look of incredulous disbelief on his features.

"I mean, I've come down for an item or two here and there, but never an actual shopping trip, no."

"And you've lived here how long?" Blaine couldn't help but ask.

"Years."

"Well we simply _must _get you caught up Mr. Hummel." Blaine teased playfully, offering his arm jauntily.

Seeming only a little wary, Kurt looped his arm delicately through Blaine's and allowed himself to be pulled from store to store, their purchases accumulating quickly. Even though their wasn't a whole lot to do on the list, Blaine had seriously underestimated Kurt's love for shopping, even though the fact that he worked at Vogue should have been enough of a hint for him. As Kurt sifted through rack after rack of clothing, Blaine started to see Kurt's fears and insecurities melt away, leaving behind that confident man that he had only had the privilege of seeing in glimpses. He was seeing the Kurt that Rachel remembered from years ago.

"Blaine, you absolutely _have _to try this on." Kurt chirped, tossing a shirt to Blaine who wore a ridiculous grin plastered on his face.

"Kurt, this shopping trip is for _you, _not-"

"Blaine, can't you tell by now that I _like _dressing people?" Kurt interrupted, pulling a light grey cashmere sweater out of a stack and handing to Blaine as well.

"Kurt-" Blaine tried to protest only to be shot down by Kurt once again.

Huffing in feigned exasperation, Kurt replied, "Blaine, think of it this way. Living with Rachel is nice, but have you ever considered how many kitten sweaters and knee socks I have to endure on a daily basis? You, trying on these clothes, is like a salve for my corneas." And then, in an attempt to ignore the blush that had stained his cheeks at admitting that Blaine looked good, he pouted the single most adorable puppy dog face.

"Fine," Blaine chuckled, "but only because you're so cute." He stopped dead in his tracks towards the dressing rooms, and glanced back at Kurt to see the man swaying lightly on his feet and biting his bottom lip to contain his giddy smile. Nodding to himself, Blaine made his way to the dressing rooms.

*~Line Break~*

Shopping had taken up the majority of their day, so Blaine had proposed that they grab their hot chocolates to go and sip while they strolled through Central Park.

So that was how the two men found themselves strolling, side by side, through a Central Park covered in light snowfall as the sun dipped below the horizon.

"This has been really nice," Kurt said quietly, breaking the comfortable silence that they had been sharing.

"So you had fun?" Blaine asked hopefully.

Kurt nodded, a smile beginning to form on his lips.

A matching smile spread across Blaine's lips, but before Blaine could speak, Kurt surprised him by speaking up.

"I'm really glad I met you Blaine," he said quietly, taking a sip of his hot chocolate and keeping the cup close to his face, almost as if he was trying to stay warm. "You're kind…a-and…I-I-" Kurt took a deep breath, desperate to keep his tears at bay. It was now or never. "I-I feel…s-safe with you."

Blaine almost froze in his path, shocked to hear such an admission from Kurt. "I'm glad I met you too, Kurt." He whispered back, fully expecting the conversation to end there. However, Kurt, who seemed to be full of surprises today, voluntarily looped his arm through Blaine's, gently grasping his bicep and subtly snuggling into Blaine's side.

"S-Spencer, well…I never felt s-safe with him," Kurt continued, still speaking quietly, "even before things got…b-bad."

"Kurt, you don't have to talk about this if you don't want to." Blaine reminded him; Kurt didn't owe him any sort of payment for his friendship.

"I know," he confirmed, "b-but…I want you to know." His blue eyes flashed up to meet Blaine's hazel ones and waited until Blaine nodded his consent before launching into his tale.

"Spencer and I met through some mutual friends only a f-few months after I moved to New York. We started d-dating immediately and I m-moved in w-with him probably too s-soon. For nearly a whole y-year, things were o-okay. S-sure, we fought, but it was…normal, I guess. T-then…" he broke off, sucking in a breath to fill his suddenly burning lungs. Blaine felt Kurt's hand squeeze his bicep, as if looking for reassurance. Hoping to convey some, Blaine reached his other hand over and rested it on top of Kurt's, holding Kurt's hand to his arm. Steeling himself away, Kurt pushed on. "Then things got b-bad. It was slow at first; a shove or a smack every now and again, but s-suddenly…it just got…_worse. _He set up schedules for me. I wasn't allowed to go anywhere but work. I _had _to be back at the apartment b-by six or he would…b-b-beat m-me." A shudder rippled through his body as he squeezed his eyes shut, allowing Blaine to lead them over to a bench and sit them down, sides flush against one another. "H-he pointed out that I w-was fat. I-I mean… I already know I am, but he had t-to rub it in m-my face _every day." _ Blaine felt his heart give a painful squeeze hearing Kurt tear himself down like that, but bit his tongue to let Kurt continue. "And then…he just started…f-flying off the handle f-for no reason at all! I would do everything r-right, Blaine, I s-swear, but he just got so-so…._angry! _And he would throw things at me and hit me and hit me and hit me until I couldn't see straight and the world was spinning and my bones broke and then h-he, he-he, oh God- he-he, _used _me, Blaine! He used me and then threw me out of the bed when he was d-done with m-me!" The violent shivering from last night had consumed Kurt again, as Blaine rubbed his hand soothingly, watching as the slender man struggled to breath.

"Kurt? Kurt, I need you to take deep breaths, okay?" He finally managed to make eye contact with the hyperventilating man and gently moved his hand from Kurt's to his cheek, softly rubbing his thumb over Kurt's cheekbone. "I know it hurts, sweetie, I know. Just breathe." Blaine hardly even noticed the term of endearment that slipped off of his tongue, but it got Kurt to take a few deep breaths and calm him down.

"There you go," Blaine all but cooed, "any better?"

Kurt seemed to genuinely think it over before nodding slightly and lifting his head up some to whisper, "A little, yes."

Blaine moved his hand back down to Kurt's and resumed rubbing feather light circles into the back of Kurt's paper thin hands. A strange mix of rage and sadness rushed through his veins. A side of him wanted to personally wring this Spencer guy's neck, while the other side of his just wanted to hold Kurt close. Blaine was still waiting for the moment when Kurt would finally let go. He seemed to be well versed in the ways of suppressing tears. However, Blaine couldn't help but think that perhaps it was time for Kurt to let it all out; he could only imagine how painful it was to keep these sorts of thoughts and pains inside for _so _long without one single outlet; not even a lone catharsis.

They sat for a while in silence, breathing deeply and snuggled close together before Blaine decided it was time to finish the list. "Kurt?" he asked quietly, waiting for the man to pick his head up off of his shoulder and look him in the eyes. "I'll be right back, okay?" After a small nod, Blaine disentangled himself and headed off into the small crowd that was populating this area of benches.

Not two minutes later, Kurt heard a voice that was distinctively Blaine's.

_All this feels strange and untrue_

_And I won't waste a minute without you_

Blaine had a guitar slung around his body (probably borrowed from one of the many performers in the park) and a slight smile on his face as he slowly approached Kurt, still singing as the constant strumming of the guitar thrummed under his voice.

_My bones ache, my skin feels cold_

_And I'm getting so tired and so old_

He sang the song directly to Kurt. He had obviously picked this song with a clear intent; he was letting Kurt know that he understood exactly how he felt. And, man, were the words nailing it.

_The anger swells in my guts_

_And I won't feel these slices and cuts_

Wait…was Blaine telling him that he thought he was…strong? Telling him that because he had come out of his pathetic excuse for a relationship alive, he was a…a what? A survivor? Could Blaine really not see him as a total waste of skin?

_I want so much to open your eyes_

_'Cause I need you to look into mine_

And so Kurt did. And he found…affection? God, he really wasn't good at this stuff, but Blaine was asking him so honestly that he couldn't help but keep trying.

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

_Tell me that you'll open your eyes_

And then Kurt got it. Blaine was asking him to _understand; _to listen to the words of this song and take them to heart as best as he could. So Kurt closed his eyes and allowed himself to just _feel _the words like he used to do as a performer. All before things got bad, all before he had lost all that he loved, all before he stopped believing…

_Get up, get out, get away from these liars_

_'Cause they don't get your soul or your fire_

Blaine really thought that? He felt warmth wash over his entire being. A strange feeling he vaguely remembered as belonging and acceptance.

_Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine_

_And we'll walk from this dark room for the last time_

So softly at first, Kurt could have sworn he was merely imagining it, he heard the soft accompaniment of violins joining in in the background. He opened his eyes to find a trio of violin players, eyeing Blaine with appreciation, obviously enjoying his performance and familiar with the song as they wordlessly offered their assistance. Kurt's eyes flittered over to Blaine and he found those hazel eyes trained on him with the most welcoming, soothing look he had ever seen. He didn't allow their eyes to unlock as Blaine sang the next part of the verse directly to him.

_Every minute from this minute now_

_We can do what we like anywhere_

_I want so much to open your eyes_

_'Cause I need you to look into mine_

A man who had been playing a make-shift drum set close by started drumming a softly in with the rest of the musicians and Blaine, that same look of appreciation on his face that had been worn by the violinists. His staccato sound gradually became louder as Blaine sung through the chorus two more times; he music building so gradually, creating the most delicious tension. The curly headed man's voice caressed each word with such heart and truth that Kurt found himself handing onto the edge of the bench, sincerely afraid he would fall off if he didn't.

Then, all of a sudden, the drums pounded out a few louder smacks and then the whole song exploded. The volume instantly doubled and the music became colors as the impassioned musicians worked together seamlessly to create this beautiful sound that had the entire crowd captivated. Blaine jumped around, pounding out perfect chord after perfect chord skillfully on the guitar, while his eyes never failed to return to Kurt every few seconds, reminding everyone that Blaine was singing specifically for Kurt.

_Oh God, _Kurt suddenly thought, _he saw the back of the list… _Because number 4 had been _be serenaded by a boy in public._ And Blaine was making it come true. The surge of affection that swelled through Kurt was so powerful that he didn't even have the strength to try and beat it back or deny it. _Blaine _cared. Kurt finally understood as the music died down quickly and left only Blaine and his guitar singing:

_All this feels strange and untrue_

_And I won't waste a minute without you_

There was a beat of silence before the crowd burst into applause. Blaine didn't even seem to register it as he wordlessly held out the guitar which was promptly collected by the owner, his eyes never leaving Kurt.

Unable to hold back any longer, Kurt leapt from his perch on the edge of the wooden bench and launched directly into a stunned yet blissed out Blaine. Kurt wrapped his arms snuggly around Blaine's neck and buried his face into the soft scarf that hid Blaine's lovely neck from him. In return, Blaine snuggly fit his strong arms around Kurt's waist and squeezed firmly.

"Thank you, Blaine, thank you so much." Kurt said, sighing happily.

"Well, we couldn't _not _finish the list, right?" he teased, hands moving to Kurt's sides and stepping back enough to see his own personal angel's face. "I meant every word of it, Kurt. You are so much more than whatever he told you."

Kurt felt his breath catch in his throat as that same swell of affection crashed into him and swirled through his entire body.

Blaine's hand somehow appeared on his face, cradling his cheek almost lovingly. With a glint of indecision in his eyes, Blaine shyly leaned forward, hesitant yet eager when Kurt didn't pull back. Their lips drew closer and closer, slowly, offering plenty of opportunities to bale. But neither did. Neither wanted to. They were close, very, very close, when Kurt stiffened.

"Blaine?" he whispered, eyes glued to something over the shorter man's shoulder.

Kurt's voice broke him out of his love induced haze and he slowly turned away from Kurt to see a tall man staring at them with fire burning rage fully in his eyes.

**A/N: Uh-oh, looks like we may have some trouble in the next chapter! I do need to say though, that that AH-mazing song is "Open your Eyes" by Snow Patrol (Oh Snow Patrol…you bring me fond memories…). You should definitely look up the song and the music video if you haven't heard it; it's definitely worth it. As always, I would love some reviews or shoot me a PM anytime, day or night, I'm not picky! I love all of you!**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: Insert victory screech here! Who has two thumbs and updated in a reasonable amount of time? This girl! And not only do I present you with a chapter, I present you with the longest chapter I have ever written for any fanfic I've ever done (It's over 10,000 words! Aw yeah, high fiving myself as we speak!)! I really hope you like it, but just to let you know there is a pretty intense scene in here, just to warn you, and it might be triggering for some individuals, so just be careful. Before I set you lose, I want to thank all of you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following; all the fun stuff! I appreciate it so, so much! And as a token of my affection, I'm going to stop rambling now! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 8**

Both men stood still as a winter's night, confusion evident on Blaine's face while Kurt's seemed to display extreme amounts of surprise and disbelief.

With the same look of rage burning bright in the man's eyes, he stalked forward, his tall frame tilting forward menacingly. Without an ounce of hesitation, Blaine pushed Kurt slightly behind him; trying in vain to hide him with his shorter stature.

"What the hell!?" The man nearly screamed, pushing Blaine aside and leaning down so they were nearly nose to nose. "Get the hell away from him, asshole!" Shoving Blaine again, he pulled a hand back to punch him straight in the face.

"Finn, STOP!" Kurt yelled, lunging in between his step-brother and Blaine, not even considering the consequences.

_Finn? _Blaine thought errantly, before zeroing back in on the scene in front of him. _Who's Finn?_

However, Finn's arm was already in motion, and even though he registered Kurt as the new target of his fist, he only had time to lessen the blow into a loose fisted smack across his jaw, not enough time to stop the momentum entirely.

Kurt stumbled back some into Blaine, who steadied him by placing his hands lightly on his shoulders.

The sound was gone from the world for a tense second. A horrible ringing sounded deep in Kurt's ears and the sting from Finn's blow, while not too bad, felt just as Spencer's had. Flashes of the last two years of his life came flying back. The ceramic bowl that smashed into the kitchen wall right to the left of his head, the sharp edge of the counter digging into his back as he was shoved into the bathroom, the commands to come into the bedroom, glassy eyes filled with want and desire. Knowing that pain was just around the bend _every fucking day. _Knowing that there was no way out.

The world crashed back in around Kurt, the sound flooded his ear drums, entirely too loud and cacophonous. Blaine's soothing touch suddenly became Spencer's sweetness before the smack; the caress before the beating.

In the blink of an eye, Kurt heaved himself forward, away from Blaine. But Finn, uncomprehending of the fright deep in Kurt's eyes, tried to catch his little brother as he came closer.

Letting out a small, strangled wail, Kurt lurched away from his as well, trying desperately to find a safe haven. Seeing the bench he had just vacated, he practically threw himself at it because when he had sat there, he was safe. Blaine was singing to him and he was safe. He felt like someone cared, he felt warm and protected and-oh God- why couldn't he _breathe_? And the metal of the bench's arm was so _cold _against his cheek and the wood was so _hard, _yet everything was spinning and he couldn't see straight and his head hurt and his stomach kept lurching and why couldn't it all _stop!? _Why did it all have to hurt so fucking bad?

A warm presence appeared next to him and extended to softly rest against the side of his face. Kurt shuddered violently away, but the presence just followed. The warmth-a hand perhaps?- slowly began soothing in small circles over his cheek.

Kurt's shivering didn't stop but the world seemed to slow just a little bit. The hand, Kurt decided, wasn't going to hurt him.

Oh so carefully, Kurt cracked one of his eyes open, searching for the source of this warmth. To no surprise, it was a very distraught looking Blaine, with tears in his eyes, though none had fallen.

Then Kurt began to remember: he was safe. Blaine was here and cared about him and had sung him a song and it was _okay. _Finn was here and angry at Blaine for some reason and Kurt had protected Blaine because he liked him and he was kind and didn't deserve to be hurt, ever, by anyone. Bit by bit Kurt's mind began to slow down and the terrible spinning of the world died down to a less sickening pace.

Blaine waited silently, letting Kurt decide what their next move would be. After a few moments, Kurt evidently decided that he really liked Blaine's neck because the slender man had slumped forward and buried his face in the soft scarf that surrounded Blaine's throat.

Kurt's shaking decreased some and if Blaine didn't know better, he would have thought that Kurt was crying. Yet, as he had found out early on, Kurt rarely cried more than a few tears.

"It's okay sweetie, it's okay. I'm right here." Blaine murmured softly into Kurt's hair as the lithe man heaved huge gulps of air into his lungs. This time though, Blaine _did _notice the term of endearment pass through his lips, but he couldn't take it back and Kurt didn't seem to mind, so he just let it be.

Finn, who had watched the entire scene without blinking, ambled forward awkwardly. "Kurt, man, I'm _so _sorry. You know I didn't mean it, right? I'd _never _hurt you, like…ever."

Still breathing a little raggedly, Kurt pulled his face out of Blaine's scarf and pulled away to sit up straight. However, when Blaine tried to give him space, Kurt firmly took hold of the hand that was attached to the arm around his waist; the curly headed man's presence seemed to be what was keeping him grounded right now.

"I know Finn, I know," he took another deep breath and let it out through his nose, closing his eyes for a moment. "Sorry I…freaked out, I just had a…sorry."

"Naw man, _I'm _sorry. Like, _really _sorry. I was just trying to get you away from this asshole." And with that, Finn leveled a disgusted glance at Blaine.

"First and foremost, don't call him that. And secondly, what do you have against Blaine?"

The look of hatred slipped off of Finn's face instantly and was replaced by one of earnest confusion. "Blaine?" he asked, completely baffled. He eyed the arm Blaine had around Kurt and the way his brother seemed to lean minutely into this stranger. "What happened to Spencer?"

Blaine felt Kurt instantly shrink in on himself at the mention of the name. "W-what do you m-mean? Finn, w-what's going on?" Kurt's brow was scrunched in confusion. Why did Finn hate Spencer? Why was he in New York?

Finn took a deep breath, his mind trying to make sense of everything before he spoke. _That's a first for him, _Kurt thought moodily.

"Kurt, three years ago, you moved to New York to go to NYADA. You sent us letters and called every day and you seemed so, so…I don't know, happy? Except it was, like, more than that. It was like you'd finally found a place where you belonged. You actually said in one of you letters something like…oh shoot, what was it? Something like, 'My home is New York City but I'll always miss my family,' do you remember that?"

Kurt nodded slightly, eyes downcast as he remembered the boy he used to be; thrilled to be in a place of art, class, and acceptance. He was going to conquer the world, he had been so sure of it. _Oh how things change._

"But then you tell us you'd started dating this Spencer guy and then the letters just stopped coming. And you never called anymore. And then, out of the blue one day, we get this-this letter from you saying that you need space. That we aren't to contact you anymore and that if we truly love you, we needed to give you time to find yourself."

"What?" Kurt asked, back suddenly straight as a pin. "A letter?"

"Yeah," Finn said slowly, not understanding why Kurt looked so pale at this news. "Don't you remember?"

"Finn…I never wrote that letter." Kurt whispered, feeling Blaine's arm tighten around him. "I thought you had all just…f-forgotten about me…"

"Come on man, like we could ever do that." Finn said sweetly. "So anyways, every time I talked to Rachel, she always would complain about how Spencer took up all of your time and she hardly got to see you anymore. But, that's, like, totally not you, man. You'd never dump your family or friends for a guy! So I knew it had to be that asshole's fault." Finn explained. "So then I saw you and that guy with your, like…arms around each other and looking all happy and in love and stuff and I just…well I just sort of assumed that he was Spencer." Looking sheepishly at the two men who were blushing like mad after Finn said they looked "in love and stuff", he addressed Blaine with, "Sorry about that by the way. I was just trying to protect my baby brother."

Blaine offered Finn a small smile in understanding. "It's okay. I actually thought _you _were Spencer so I was getting ready to beat the shit out of you too."

Finn let out a big belly laugh at that as Kurt and Blaine finally stood up.

"So are you two like…dating?" Finn asked, eyeing the way Blaine still had Kurt held close.

They glanced awkwardly at each other, cheeks stained red and they both simultaneously replied with a quiet _no._

"Oh, well…cool." Finn shuffled his feet somewhat awkwardly, not knowing what to say next.

Saving his brother from his uncomfortable moment, Kurt asked another question that was on his mind. "So, what are you doing in New York?"

"Oh!" Finn perked right up, looking pleased with himself. "I'm here to surprise Rachel. Since I don't get to see her for Christmas, I thought I'd come now and spend some time with her."

"Wow Finn, that's really…sweet…" Kurt praised suspiciously. Then it hit him, "have you been watching the chick-flicks I left at home?!"

"NO!" Finn denied immediately, turning tomato red and giving himself away.

Blaine just chuckled at the obvious brotherly love that the two displayed. He didn't know much about Kurt's family; he usually avoided talking about them. All he knew what that he had a dad, stepmom and stepbrother, whose name was apparently Finn. And, if what Finn said was true, Kurt had once been quite close to the family he hadn't seen for nearly three years now.

"Admit it Finn, Sleepless in Seattle is your favorite movie and we all know it." Kurt teased, a light shining deep in his eyes that Blaine hadn't ever seen before. It was rather becoming.

In response, Finn just smiled a wide smile, content practically rolling off of his body in waves. "I really missed you little brother." He said softly, opening his arms as an invitation.

Finally drawing away from Blaine, Kurt took the few steps necessary to enter the embrace, closing his eyes and sniffling quietly. "I missed you too." Kurt's quiet voice broke a little with the reunion but a small smile curved the corners of his lips upward.

"So, I actually need to get to Rachel's apartment before it gets much later; I wanted to take her to dinner." Finn said a little sadly, rubbing the back of his neck with a massive hand. "But…did you maybe want to, I don't know, hang out or something before I leave? I'm only in town for a few days."

"S-sure," Kurt smiled softly, looking at his brother with affection. "I'm actually s-sort of living with Rachel so…I guess I'll s-see you later?"

"Awesome!" Finn said whilst smiling a toothy grin that took up the better part of his face. "Do you want to walk with me? I'm going there now."

"No thanks, I'm going to walk Blaine home first."

"Oh, no that's okay," Blaine rushed to get out, "I don't mind Kurt, really."

Kurt turned to smile at him before shaking his head with a sort of gentle assertiveness. "No Blaine, really, I want to."

"If you're sure," Blaine double checked, to which Kurt only nodded, that same small smile reaching all the way to his eyes.

"Alright," Finn blurted out, clapping his hands together and breaking their small moment, "So…I'll see you later?" He asked as though he was afraid if he let Kurt go, he wouldn't get him back.

Kurt rested a comforting hand on the gentle giant's bicep and squeezed slightly. "I'll be there, Finn."

He sighed out a long breath and closed his eyes for a moment, letting the words sink in and willing himself to believe them. "Cool. Nice to meet you Blaine. Sorry again about the whole…murderous rage thing…"

"It's fine, I get it Finn. But if you ever hurt Kurt again, I'm going to have to kick your ass, just so you know." Blaine teased; glad when Finn just laughed and shook his head apologetically.

Leaning forward to offer Blaine a fist bump, his eyes flickered over to Kurt's. "I like him, he's cool." To which Kurt blushed and wondered not only why Finn thought it was necessary to make these sort of analyses, but why it made Kurt blush so much.

When their goodbyes were finally completed and Kurt had assured Finn that he would see him later and they could have warm milk and lady chats, Kurt and Blaine finally set out towards Blaine's apartment. The silence that enveloped them was comforting and peaceful; almost a natural fit for the cold winter's night.

Through unspoken agreement, they decided to walk back to Blaine's place instead of grabbing a taxi; it wasn't like he lived very far anyways, probably only a 25 minute walk which was kid's play for a New Yorker.

About five minutes in, Kurt wordlessly slid his arm through Blaine's, gripping his bicep firmly while bringing his other hand up to place just a little further down his arm, effectively hugging Blaine's arm to his chest.

_It's probably just for warmth, _Blaine reasoned, remembering how easily Kurt got cold. It didn't stop a shiver from running up and down his spine though. He shot a glance over to Kurt, smiling a crinkly eyed smile when Kurt looked up at him bashfully through his eyelashes, but didn't pull away.

"Today was sort of perfect," Kurt whispered. "I got to have hot chocolate in Central Park, shop in Times Square and you-" his eyes went up to rest adoringly on Blaine's face until the brunette man met his gaze, "you…_s-sang _for me…in front of everybody." The note of incredulous shock laden over every one of Kurt's words wasn't lost on Blaine. "Now I'm going to have to think of something really good for your Christmas present." Kurt joked. Another shiver raked down Blaine's spine as he pictured himself and Kurt in front of a fire, or decorating a beautiful tree that would only pale in comparison to Kurt, or _gulp, _the two of them standing under a sprig of mistletoe.

"You have a wonderful voice by the way," Kurt added casually, "you really _should _look into performing. Forget what your dad says, you could do it. I know you could." And _God, _if Kurt's support didn't already mean the world to Blaine. He actually felt tears prickling his eyes, ridiculously enough.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked worriedly, taking notice to the moisture building in Blaine's eyes. He stopped them in front of Blaine's apartment complex. "Was it something I s-said. I'm-I'm s-sorry. I need to learn to b-be quiet a-and-"

But all of a sudden Blaine appeared in his arms and he couldn't speak anymore because Blaine was mumbling "Thank you, Kurt. Thank you so much." Over and over again into his scarf. And for the first time in Kurt Hummel's life, he wished he hadn't worn a scarf, because he could only imagine how lovely in would feel to have Blaine's frigid nose tucked away next to his throat, breathing in his scent.

Before the confused counter tenor could even ask what Blaine was thanking him for, Blaine started to explain. "I grew up, day after day being told that I wasn't good enough. That my straight A's weren't good enough. I needed to play more sports and sing less, forget dancing and date a girl. I was never good enough. Never. At school, my friends, hell even random _strangers_ would hear me sing and tell me that I had talent, but my parents? They never even batted an eye. A-and that…that _hurt, _Kurt. It hurt so bad, because every day, no matter what I did or how _good _I did it, I would go back to a house where it didn't matter and it didn't mean anything and _I _meant nothing!" He shook with tears and shuddering breaths as he let Kurt sway them gently. He hadn't meant to unleash all of his baggage on Kurt but once he started and he felt the feel of Kurt's strong, slender arms wrapped around him, it just felt too damn good to stop.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered, pulling the shorter man in closer, "shh, it's okay, shh. Your parents don't know a thing then, Blaine, because you are incredible."

And then a fresh batch of tears started falling from Blaine's eyes because he just couldn't understand how _anyone _could hurt someone as gentle and nurturing as Kurt. How could a sweetness like the kind Kurt exuded ever warrant any sort of violence; how did it warrant anything less than instant love? And then something else hit him.

"Kurt?" he asked, pulling back enough to see Kurt's eyes, "Is this how you felt? When you were with Spencer? Insignificant? Trapped?-"

"Unloved? Worthless? Helpless? Hopeless?" Kurt interrupted, eyes somehow steely and pained at the same time. "Yes."

"Hopeless?" Blaine whispered. Things had been bad for him, but he had never lost hope. He had always maintained the mindset that, one day, he would get out; he would be free.

Kurt's eyes dropped immediately, the guilt in his soul breaking free and flooding his entire body. His eyes physically burned to look at Blaine, but the words bubbled up anyways. "I only had two options, Blaine," he whispered, barely audible. "Leave or…_leave." _ He glanced up at Blaine's wide, puzzled eyes to wait for the understanding to hit him.

_Leave or _leave_? _Blaine wondered. _Leave Spencer or leave…what? _Blaine's knees suddenly started shaking, barely able to support his weight all of a sudden. The sick feeling moved up his body, fast as lightning, and settled in his stomach as waves of nausea splashed through his stomach making it drop uncomfortably and turn somersault after somersault. His heart rate increased tenfold and hammered dangerously against his ribs, threatening to crack them with its force. Finally, his head began to swim and he gripped Kurt's upper arms almost harshly, trying desperately not to keel over; his brain finally receiving the message his body had already read: _Leave life._

"Kurt," he choked out, tears already filling his eyes again, as he stared at the beautiful man in his arms who looked so sad and beaten down, he could hardly stand it.

"I…I-I didn't know w-what to d-do, Blaine," he whispered, still nearly silent and fragile sounding, "U-unlike y-you, I d-deserved almost e-everything t-that he d-did to m-me. H-he told me I-I was f-fat because I-I am; h-he was t-telling t-the truth. He t-told me n-not to come h-home late b-but I d-did some times; I s-should have known b-better. I w-wasn't a v-very g-good boyfriend cause-cause I-I didn't always c-clean very w-well after I got h-home f-from work; t-tired or-or not I-I should h-have tried h-harder. And-and the pills w-were r-right there a-and I t-took them a-all a-and t-the world became s-strange c-colors a-and I couldn't e-even f-feel h-his fist that night o-or his b-body i-i-in bed t-that night a-and his breath on m-my n-neck became a-a _joke _and the sheets pressed a-against my f-face s-smelt like b-blood and d-dirt and I-I j-just didn't _care _anymore! A-and I couldn't stop laughing until I-I couldn't s-stop s-sweating, a-and then I-I couldn't s-stop crying a-and a-and , I-I fell asleep b-but then I w-woke up c-cause c-cause, _God, _I can't even _kill _myself right! "

"STOP!" Blaine suddenly screamed, hands clasped desperately over his ears, trying to block Kurt's words before they could permeate his brain. He shook his head wildly with an almost feral look of self-preservation in his teary hazel eyes. "Stop, God, _please, _just stop these _lies, _Kurt! Please tell me you don't honestly believe these things!"

"_What else am I supposed to believe, Blaine?!" _Kurt's voice suddenly rose from the hysterical whisper he had told his story in. "_It's all true!"_

"No, it's not!" Blaine yelled, moving back to Kurt and gripping his upper arms to steady both of them. "Can't, _Jesus, Kurt, _can't you see how-how…_perfect _you are?!"

Finally, it was quiet. The echoes of their voices faded away into the cold blackness that surrounded them. Blaine gripped Kurt's too thin upper arms and Kurt had his hand's grasping the lapels of Blaine's coat.

Giving a little tug, Blaine brought Kurt's forehead down to rest against his own, trying to ease the hurt in his heart. With eyes closed and tears slipping noiselessly out through his eyelashes, Blaine spoke in a hushed, thick voice. "You're an idiot. You can be so stupid sometimes, you know that?"

The relief in his voiced mixed with exhaustion let Kurt know that he didn't say it as an insult. Unable to find any words and unsure if his voice would even operate, Kurt just let out a little hiccupping laugh, eyes closed as well and reveling in Blaine's scent.

"Please just…please don't leave, please Kurt, please," Blaine whimpered, his tears flowing with more force now as his grip tightened slightly. "I couldn't handle that Kurt, I-I, it hurts too much." And then he mumbled something that sounded like _I need you, _but Kurt was fairly sure he was just imagining things.

After nearly ten minutes swaying lightly in each other's arms, Blaine pulled back and lightly stroked Kurt's tearless cheek. "It's okay to cry, you know."

"I just…I wasn't…_allowed _to for so long…" Kurt explained, feeling Blaine stiffen in anger as Kurt revealed another one of Spencer's suppressions. "It's sort of s-second nature now…"

Blaine nodded in understanding, face only melting out of its rigid unhappiness about Kurt's statement when he softly asked, "You know that I'll always listen, right? You know that, when you're ready, I can be that shoulder to cry on, right?"

Kurt nodded, a soft smile forming on his lips. "I know."

Blaine nodded resolutely and finally pulled away from Kurt, wiping away his own residual tears. "Well, we sure know how to keep things fun and light, don't we?"

Kurt giggled and shook his head, rolling his eyes.

"I should probably let you get back to Finn and your, oh what was it…lady chats? I expect an explanation about that on Monday over our coffee, by the way."

Kurt just giggled again and nodded. "Actually," he spoke up, seemingly voicing an idea that had just popped into his head, "why don't you come over tomorrow, for lunch? I'll be cooking for Finn anyways and he eats four times his body weight, which is impressive considering he's a giant. There will be plenty of food."

Blaine's smile widened, almost feeling foreign after the frown and worry that had taken up residence on his face for so long. "Sure, that sounds great. What time?"

"One?"

"Perfect; I'll be there."

"Great," Kurt answered shyly, taking a few steps backward as he headed in the direction of his own place. "Goodnight Blaine."

"Sweet dreams Kurt." He answered, sure that his face now housed that same old love sick grin he had been sporting since he met Kurt.

"Oh and Blaine?" Kurt called as Blaine was just about to enter his apartment complex. "Even after all of…_that," _he gestured to the spot right in front of the steps to Blaine's building where they had had their heart wrenching conversation, "today was still sort of perfect." Kurt smiled one last time and turned around.

Blaine watched him until his figure disappeared around the corner, all the while with that damn shiver playing up and down his spine.

*~Line Break~*

"You know, it never tastes the same when anyone else makes it, man. Mom tries, and I mean it's good, but...it's not _this _good." Finn complimented as Kurt handed him a mug of steaming milk. "Don't tell her I said that." Finn rushed to add, eyes wide with concern.

"My lips are sealed," Kurt assured, complete with pretending to zip his mouth closed and throwing away the key.

Their lady chat quickly turned into a 'sip your milk and enjoy the quiet' sort of time instead, but neither of them minded. Rachel was asleep in her bed on the opposite side of the apartment from the living room where they had set themselves up.

"So…" Finn began awkwardly, obviously trying to beat back the burning questions that Kurt knew were coming, "what happened to you, man? Where did you go?"

Kurt took a deep breath. Rachel already knew, Blaine knew; shouldn't his own brother know what had happened? The slender brunette took a sip of his milk, automatically counting calories in his head- force of habit- and formulated his words carefully in his head; either way, it probably wasn't going to go too smoothly.

"Um, well…a lot…_happened, _to be honest." Kurt took a break, already feeling exhausted. This day just seemed to get longer and longer. "I-I guess, the simple v-version is…" another deep breath, another attempt at stability, "…Spencer b-became a-abusive…" he whispered, wringing his hands nervously in his lap and flicking his gaze around the room skittishly. He had never said it so bluntly before; it was the strangest mix of liberation and nausea.

It was quiet for so long that Kurt had to actually look up to make sure Finn hadn't either fallen asleep or left the room. Finn was still there alright, and he looked livid.

"I'm" Finn began, but was cut off by an abrupt, unexpected laugh of confusion that burst from his lips, "I'm gonna kill him." He laughed again, the rage in his system manifesting itself as laughter. He stood suddenly, as if he was going to start sprinting in a random direction and hope it led him to Spencer.

"Finn," Kurt said cautiously, placing his mug on the coffee table and standing slowly, hands out in a stop motion. "He's gone now…let's just keep it that way, okay?"

With a tremendous effort that Kurt found he great admired and appreciated, Finn heaved a giant sized sigh and hung his head, shaking it slowly as tears began to fall straight to the floor. "God, I feel so stupid…" he whispered, bringing his head up and looking across the room at nothing in particular, his hands on his hips as he continually shook his head back and forth and bit his upper lip. "I should have _known _that letter wasn't from you; you'd never do something like that. I should have called you or flown up here to see you. I should have tried _something." _

"And I should have gotten to know him better before jumping into things with him, but…I didn't." Kurt whispered as he looked at Finn's face, only continuing when the tall man's eyes returned his gaze. "We both made mistakes, Finn. But you're here now, so let's just…I don't know…be brothers?" He laughed awkwardly but felt his heart warm when Finn chuckled and wiped the tears from his face.

"Does that mean we're going to have a secret 'America's Next Top Model' marathon and eat those little finger sandwiches you make and drink sparkling juice?" Finn asked too hopefully for a grown man.

Kurt just giggled in response though; glad to have his brother back. "You can count on it."

*~Line Break~*

Tired. Kurt was tired with a capital 'T'. It was the kind of exhaustion that literally makes it hard to keep your eyes open.

Kurt hadn't slept very much the past two nights. The first night he hardly slept because he was equal parts nervous and excited about spending the day with Blaine. And last night, his mind wouldn't stop replaying the events of said day; the way Blaine had sung to him, the heart to heart they had shared, Finn showing up-it was a rather eventful day.

So now, Kurt stood in the kitchen, waiting for the pot of water to start boiling so he could start the noodles, swaying on his feet and feeling his eyes flittering closed. The soothing hiss of the gas stove was like a lullaby. He could hear Finn, Rachel and Blaine in the living room, beginning to decorate the Christmas tree. He was surrounded by the sounds of a happy house. He could hear the trio arguing lightly about placement and giggling over the songs that came over the radio, Christmas classic after Christmas classic. A lazy smile would have spread over Kurt's face had it not been for the fact that even his facial muscles seemed to be too exhausted.

"Hey, hey, careful," Blaine said softly, suddenly standing next to Kurt and plucking Kurt's hand up off of the edge of the stove, "don't want to burn yourself; your fingers were getting pretty close there."

Kurt felt his head loll to the side and he smiled a small smile, though the exhaustion headache beginning at his temples dampened the warmth in the gesture.

"You feeling okay, Kurt?" Blaine asked, frowning slightly and still holding the pale man's hand.

"Yeah, I'm just sort of sleepy, I guess." Kurt pulled his hand out of Blaine's and moved towards the refrigerator, stumbling on his way.

"Whoa," Blaine soothed, catching Kurt before he could fall and wrapping his arm snuggly around Kurt's slender waist to steady him. "Come on Kurt, it's time for a nap." Blaine chuckled as Kurt began to pout lightly and tried to pull away muttering, "No, no, I'm fine; I need to make lunch."

"I think I can handle making noodles," Blaine teased, keeping his arm around Kurt's midsection and tugging him towards the living room couch.

Ever since the previous night, Blaine couldn't get the feel of Kurt's smooth skin or his surprisingly strong and slender arms wrapped around him, out of his mind. Then there was the enthralling yet confusing almost kiss between them that Finn had interrupted. At least, Blaine was pretty sure that Kurt was going to kiss him, but perhaps that was just wishful thinking. And that was why it was confusing. But, whatever it was, whatever had happened yesterday had shifted something in their relationship and Blaine noticed it the moment he walked into the apartment only to have Kurt grab his hand and tug him fully inside; a rather touchy feely move for Kurt. Blaine called it progress.

So here Blaine was, helping Kurt lay down on the couch, even though he didn't need the help.

"Just wake me up when the noodles are finished," Kurt mumbled, snuggling into the pillows, already half asleep.

"Alright, sweetie. Sweet dreams." Blaine murmured, smoothing Kurt's hair away from his face and fighting back the desire to place a kiss on his porcelain forehead.

Smiling lazily, Kurt made a sound of contentment as he snuggled into the back of the couch. With a smile of his own, Blaine straightened up to see Rachel and Finn staring at him with knowing looks and, in Rachel's case, a slightly crazed (in an overly happy sort of way) smile.

"Sweetie, huh?" Rachel smirked, eyebrows raised.

"It just sort of…slipped out?" Blaine said nervously.

"Again?" Finn questioned obliviously. At Rachel's questioning look he turned towards her slightly, "Yeah, yesterday after I sort of…freaked out, Blaine was calming Kurt down and he called him sweetie." Finn looked mighty proud of himself after successfully remembering that detail and happily accepted the pat on the shoulder Rachel gave him.

"So do you regularly call your 'just friends' sweetie, Blaine?" Rachel asked all too innocently.

"Oh shut up," Blaine grumbled, going back to the kitchen to check on the now boiling water.

It was to Blaine's surprise that only Finn followed him, leaning in the doorway and sipping his beer. "Rachel was telling me how you and Kurt seem to be like, perfect for each other or something."

Blaine bit back the little smile that began blooming on his face at the mention of him and Kurt as 'perfect', and remained silent. With the water boiling steadily, Blaine dumped the entire box of angel hair pasta into the pot and tossed the box into the nearby trash can.

Finn shuffled awkwardly in the doorway, practically filling the entire space with his enormous frame. "Listen, Kurt told me what happened with Spencer." Finn said quietly, eyes focusing on his thick fingers peeling the label off the beer bottle in his clutches. "And Rachel told me what it did to Kurt. Well that and like, I can tell, you know? Like, he's my brother, so of course I notice that he's sorta…I don't know, off? But uh…" he finally lifted his eyes to watch Blaine's profile as he stirred the pot on the stove, "Well, Rachel sorta said that you're the first person to really make him smile and laugh and stuff since…well you know…" he trailed off quietly and was just about to leave Blaine smiling lightly into the waves of the water and help Rachel set the table, when a quiet voice made him turn back around.

"I didn't do anything…not really. I just…I don't know…treated him like he deserved." Blaine finally lifted his eyes from his work and looked over at Finn openly.

"And how do you think he deserves to be treated?" Finn asked with a sudden and unexpected wisdom.

Blaine gathered his courage before softly answering, "With love." He couldn't help but duck his head to hide his blush; after all, it was the first time he had said it out loud.

"I knew it!" Finn said loudly, breaking into a huge smile and breaking the moment. "Rachel," he called jovially as he exited the kitchen and headed towards the dining area, "You were right!"

Blaine just groaned and prayed to God that they would keep it down. The last thing he needed was Kurt waking up to his brother and best friend declaring Blaine's love for him.

"I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!" Rachel chanted as she danced herself into the kitchen and began filling glasses of water for their meal.

Blaine ducked his head once again and smiled an altogether too large smile. "Okay, okay fine, you caught me!" If he was being honest, it was actually pretty nice to be able to admit to it out loud. He continued smiling as he picked up the pot and took it over to the sink, draining the noodles and then returning them to the cooling stove. He looked up to see Rachel, now standing still, looking at Blaine with a soft expression.

"What?" he questioned, scrubbing a scuff mark on the floor with the tip of his sock.

"Just…I'm really happy for you two." She said softly, looking like she really meant it with all of her heart.

Blaine just laughed lightly and rubbed the back of his neck a little self-consciously. "Yeah, well we're just friends; nothing's really happened."

"Yet." Rachel assured warmly before turning to put the waters on the table. "Now go wake your prince so we can eat!" She tossed over her shoulder.

Blaine chuckled but obeyed none the less; throwing a dishtowel over his shoulder and making his way to the living room where Kurt hadn't even moved a single inch. His long frame was curled up in an incredibly tiny ball. Blaine took in the yoga pants Kurt had yet to change out of, most likely due to his extreme fatigue, and the soft beige sweater that seemed fashionably oversized on his lithe frame and decided that he looked more comfortable and peaceful than ever. Kurt's hair was also adorably casual as it stuck up in untamed, sleep irritated cowlicks.

Blaine sat down cross-legged on the floor, resting his chin on the edge of the cushion, just drinking in the effortless beauty that was Kurt for a few moments.

Gently, Blaine raised one of his hands from where they rested in his lap and, as softly as he could, he ran his fingers through the tousled chestnut locks and smiled when Kurt made a small snuffling noise and curled further into himself.

"Hey, time to wake up, sweetie," Blaine whispered, that same gentle smile still playing across his lips. Blaine had decided that as long as Kurt didn't say anything about his little term of endearment, he wasn't going to either.

Kurt made an unintelligible noise and buried his nose into the couch cushion with reluctance to leave his sleepy haze.

Blaine chuckled and placed his hand on Kurt's shoulder, thumb stroking in soft little circles. "Kurt…" he said in a sing song voice, making the name into two lilting syllables.

"Blaine…" Kurt mimicked, lifting a hand lazily to run his fingers through the hair just above one of Blaine's ears, seemingly not very awake yet as his eyes fluttered open, but just barely.

Blaine took a deep breath to stop the whimper that arose in his throat when Kurt's fingers carded through his hair. Kurt seemed to relax a great deal when he was sleepy.

"The pasta is done and we're ready to eat," Blaine explained, trying his best to hold Kurt's fluttering gaze.

"Mmmm," Kurt acknowledged this by closing his eyes back up and snuggling resolutely into the squishy couch. Rachel couch was sort of wonderful for sleeping on he decided. "Just eat without me."

"Nope." Blaine grinned, popping the 'p' at the end; this side of Kurt was just too freaking cute. "Come on," he laughed, practically having to lift Kurt up off of the couch only to have the fatigued man loop his arm through his own and hug it to his chest, just like he had done the night before when he walked Blaine back to his apartment.

Kurt hummed contently as Blaine led him to the table where Finn and Rachel were already beginning to dish out food onto their plates.

"Finally!" Finn sighed dramatically, with a hint of a smirk on his face. "My stomach was starting to eat my spine!"

"Well don't you two look cozy?" Rachel teased, spreading the vodka sauce over her angel hair pasta and mixing her steamed broccoli in with it.

Blaine just blushed as he pulled out a chair for Kurt and sat him down, taking the seat next to him for himself.

Dinner was delicious and Blaine found that he really did like Rachel and Finn. Sure, he had known Rachel for years, but that was more or less in a professional capacity; they had never socialized outside of work until now. _Until Kurt, _his mind added. Glancing over at that very man, he had to suppress a giggle from Kurt's absolutely endearing forlorn expression. He looked all out of sorts, like he wasn't exactly sure where he was. He ate little bites here and there, but he looked like he was really just trying to keep himself awake long enough to lay his head down on something other than a bed of pasta. He would blink his eyes repeatedly, like he was trying to keep the world in focus and scrunch his nose up in little snuffling noises that made Blaine want to kiss him entirely too much. Shifting his thoughts away from the beautiful man to his right, Blaine couldn't help but appreciate Finn. Sure, he had tried to attack Blaine and ended up hitting Kurt instead, and as far as horrible first impressions went, that was _probably _the worst since the beginning of all time, but he was definitely a good brother. The way he seemed to bring Kurt's walls down was a comforting sight to Blaine, making him wonder what Kurt was like with the rest of his family.

"So Kurt tells me that you guys grew up in Ohio, right?" Blaine asked, twirling more pasta onto his fork.

"Go Buckeyes!" Finn replied happily, shoving yet _another _roll into his mouth after buttering it heavily.

"I grew up in Ohio too," Blaine smiled, pleased when Finn seemed to light up.

"Really? Where?"

"Westerville."

Finn's eyes got big and his mouth dropped open for a second before Rachel tapped his chin to cut off the disgusting display of his half chewed food. "Dude, we all grew up in Lima! That's like, what, an hour and a half, two hours away?!"

Blaine nodded, wondering what it would have been like if he had met Kurt back in high school.

"What school did you go to? Maybe Kurt and I played you in football." Finn asked eagerly.

"Probably not," Blaine replied, chuckling at Finn's confused look, "I went to Dalton Academy for boys. We didn't even-wait," Blaine's mind finally registered Finn's words fully and then promptly short circuited. "Kurt was on the football team?" His wide eyed stare swung around to look at a very amused looking Kurt who had been playing silently with his food.

"Go Buckeyes," Kurt teased, twirling a finger around in the air half-heartedly.

"You never told me you liked football," Blaine stated curiously, trying very, very hard to keep his thoughts noble and _not _dwell on his wonderful mental image of Kurt in a football uniform.

"No, I didn't," Kurt slurred lightly, pointing a finger at Blaine with a rather comical lift of an eyebrow, "because I don't; I hate it in fact. I will never understand why men would voluntarily run full speed at each other when they are practically all built like buses. That would be like me deciding I wanted to run straight into a concrete retaining wall as fast as I possibly could."

Blaine was laughing like mad, but he didn't even try to hide it for Rachel and Finn were snickering as well. Sleepy Kurt was much more long winded than a fully awake Kurt and Blaine found it refreshing to see the normally reserved and shy man letting his walls down and voicing his opinions. Blaine felt like he was falling in love all over again.

"Well then why did you join the team?" Blaine asked.

"Oh, here's where it gets good," Rachel giggled as she jabbed Finn good naturedly in the ribs.

"I had this ENORMOUS crush on the star quarterback: Finn." Kurt laughed as Blaine's face bloomed into a look of shock and his head went back and forth between the step-brothers a few times before letting out a sharp bark of a laugh, still stunned apparently. "But after I kicked the winning field goal and won us our only game of the season, I ended up coming out to my dad and decided that I didn't need the football team anymore." He shrugged lightly, smiling fondly at the memory.

"Kurt was also a cheerleader," Rachel said nonchalantly, as if that wouldn't send Blaine's mind into a spiral of completely inappropriate thoughts about the man sitting next to him.

"Really?" Blaine asked tightly, keeping his fire red face turned down as he speared a steamed carrot and ate it slowly.

"Sure. There are videos online. They even won Nationals." Rachel added, still trying to hide her smirk unsuccessfully. _For an actress, she should really be better at that, _Blaine thought bitterly as she kept torturing him with these mental images.

"I sang a fourteen minute Celine Dion medley in French to win that title." Kurt piped up proudly, nibbling disinterestedly at a roll, his eyes still heavily lidded.

_Geez, he must have been _really _tired; he's still not waking up entirely, _Blaine thought quickly, shoving it away for later as he turned to Kurt with a soft look on his face.

"I remember you telling me that you love to sing." Kurt's expression turned soft and warm as he nodded openly.

"And he's good too. Like, _really _good." Finn offered, smiling proudly at his brother. "He was in The New Directions with us. That was our Glee club at McKinley." He added.

"The New Directions?" Blaine asked excitedly. Finn and Rachel nodded confusedly while Kurt attempted a nod that looked more like a loll of the head as he fought to stay conscious. "I was the lead singer of the Warblers! We competed against you one year!"

"Oh my God, I remember you!" Rachel said, matching Blaine's enthusiasm. "You looked so different back then, what with all the gel and the blazer and all."

Blaine chuckled, affectionately remembering his high school years. "Ah yes, the blazers and gel…"

"Those blazers were hot," Kurt said, his sleepiness making him honest and unashamed. He smiled at the instant blush that polluted Blaine's surprised yet pleased looking face. "As for the gel, I'm glad you broke the habit," Kurt teased, reaching over to play with a few of Blaine's curls, "this look is much cuter on you." And with that Kurt went back to mixing his vegetables in with his pasta, not even noticing what a stuttering mess he had reduced Blaine to with his comments.

Rachel and Finn, ever helpful, smirked and snickered knowingly at Blaine's astounded face and lopsided smile.

Kurt insisted on helping Rachel clean up, complaining that they had done all the work by cooking. However, Kurt also placed dibs on the couch so as soon as he was done he could continue his much needed nap. And since there wasn't enough room in the small kitchen for Finn and Blaine to offer any sort of assistance, they were shooed out to the living room with a beer for Finn and a glass of wine for Blaine.

They sat in comfortable silence just sipping their drinks and staring at the now glowing Christmas tree.

"Hey Finn?" Blaine asked quietly, twisting the stem of his glass between his thumb and index finger. "What was Kurt like before…you know…" Blaine kept his hazel eyes on the red wine swirling in his glass as Finn began to speak.

"He was…I don't know. Like, he's the same person now that he was in high school, except it's like it's buried underneath all this shyness that he never used to have. Kurt was _never _shy about like, _anything, _man. He always told you exactly what he was thinking and used really big words to do it."

Blaine chuckled lightly, just picturing it in his head. He knew that Kurt definitely had a sassy side, he had seen it make small appearances here and there and it was just another thing that made him perfect to Blaine.

"That's actually sort of what got him in a lot of trouble back in high school too." Finn continued, fiddling with the lip of his bottle by running his finger around and around the rim.

"What do you mean 'trouble'?" Blaine felt his stomach do a tiny flip flop at Finn's words.

"He got bullied a lot, I mean, well _you're _gay, _you _lived in Ohio; you must know what it's like." Finn looked up to make eye contact with Blaine, silently inquiring with his eyes.

"Well, sure, I got bullied." Blaine admitted, "But after I got attacked at my first high school, I was transferred to Dalton which has a no tolerance bullying policy that's actually enforced."

"I'm sorry that happened, man." Finn said very quietly and very gently; obviously meaning it from the bottom of his heart. The look on his face was almost like he was trying to apologize for every straight football jock who had ever thrown a hurtful slur or fist at any gay man. It warmed Blaine's heart to know that people like Finn existed.

"It's okay. It was a long time ago." Blaine assured the gentle giant, and if he had been sitting in the armchair next to Finn instead of on the couch, he would have patted his shoulder in comfort and thanks.

"Well, I wish we had known about Dalton back then; maybe it could have helped Kurt." Finn said, getting back to their previous topic of discussion. "He had it pretty bad; locker slams, dumpster tosses, slushy facials, all day every day." Finn shook his head slowly in disapproval. "I even used to, you know…but then I got to know him and then our parents got married junior year and…well, I wasn't about to let anyone push my little brother around. He's a good guy, you know? He didn't deserve any of it." Finn looked sad as he retold of his past actions; the way he had treated Kurt back then. "He even had this one bully, Karofsky, who ended up cornering him and kissing him." Blaine gasped at that, feeling a chill run through his body. "Then he…he threatened to kill him if he told anyone." Finn whispered, tears collecting in his eyes as he took a swill from his bottle to distract himself.

"Did he…ever…did he _try?" _ Blaine squeezed out through his constricted airway.

"No, thank God." Finn breathed, shutting his eyes and then speaking up some from the barely audible whispers they had been speaking in thus far. "He got expelled and we never saw him again."

The chill in Blaine's body didn't go away though, it just expanded to make his entire body feel cold.

"Man, I don't even know if Kurt would want me telling you these things…" Finn suddenly realized; a look of guilt washing over his features.

"It's okay Finn, I don't mind." Kurt said, suddenly standing a few paces from the back of the couch were Blaine was seated. His face looked relaxed and untroubled, showing that he really didn't mind. "Rachel kicked me out of the kitchen saying I could hardly stand on my own two feet." Kurt rolled his eyes dramatically that had Blaine giggling and Finn smiling. "Oh! Hold on, I'll be right back!" Kurt suddenly lit up, turning to stumble down the hallway. Obviously Rachel was right about the whole balance issue.

Kurt returned moments later carrying a huge book in his slender arms, clasping it to his chest as though it was a precious possession.

He flopped down on the couch right next to Blaine and immediately cuddled into his side by wrapping his long arms around Blaine's waist and tugging him in close. Blaine, although surprised, didn't even think twice as he let one of his arms wrap snuggly around Kurt's shoulders.

Once comfortable, Kurt let the book drop in Blaine's lap and he finally saw what it was.

"A scrapbook?" Blaine asked, feeling the smooth leather of the cover reverently. He understood how big of a deal it was for Kurt to willingly open up not only now, but about his life long ago. Kurt didn't usually talk about his time with Spencer because of the pain those memories caused, and he didn't talk about the time before Spencer because it reminded him of all the things he'd lost. "Kurt, you don't have to-"

"I know." Kurt interrupted, looking adoringly over to Blaine with a softness and warmth that finally removed the chill from Blaine's body. "I want to."

Blaine began flipping through page after page of pictures for which Kurt had a story for each and every one. Finn pitched in his two cents from across the room here and there. Blaine saw Kurt in his football uniform and cheerleading outfit and yes, it was incredibly hot. He saw multiple shots of the New Directions. Some in performance outfits and some taken in what looked to be a choir room. Some were of the same members of the glee club but taken outside of school entirely.

"You were all really good friends, weren't you?" Blaine asked, after the tenth picture in a row of Kurt, a younger Rachel Berry and a couple girls laughing in a horrendously pink room that was no doubt, most likely Rachel's.

Kurt huffed out a tired laugh, his head leaning on Blaine's shoulder heavily, either out of comfort or fatigue. "All of New Directions was just one big, happy, incestuous, bickering family."

Blaine chuckled as Finn broke out in a large guffaw. "Oh that is so true…" Finn said at the tail end of his laugh, wiping away tears of laughter.

The back half of the book was seemingly dedicated to family. When they stumbled upon the first family photo, Kurt's hand detached from where it was tangled in the fabric of Blaine's T-shirt to stroke the image of a balding man wearing a baseball cap and a flannel shirt.

"That's my dad." Kurt whispered simply as he removed his hand from the page and tucked it back against Blaine's waist.

Blaine gave Kurt's shoulders a squeeze before slowly turning the page to more family moments.

"We're really close or…well we _were…" _Kurt muttered, eyes glued to the book in Blaine's lap. "He's the absolute best dad in the entire world."

Blaine smiled at the photos, silently thanking this man for making Kurt feel loved. "Well if he's the best dad in the entire world, then he still loves you, Kurt." Blaine told the thin man in his arms.

Kurt just smiled that same warm, sleepy smile before he nuzzled his nose slightly into Blaine's neck, allowing the remaining pages of the scrapbook to be turned in silence.

When the entire book had been seen, Blaine leaned forward slightly to toss it lightly onto the coffee table, careful not to break either Kurt's or his own grasp on the other. He looked down to find the tall man asleep, arms still around his waist and face cuddled into his neck.

"You're warm…" Kurt sighed, not entirely asleep yet. "Even better than the couch…" and with that, he let out another small sigh and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

Blaine had to choke back the groan that wanted to slip out of his lips at the thought of Kurt sleeping on him like he would the sofa.

Rachel giggled as she entered the room and immediately noticed Blaine's dumbstruck face and the way her best friend and the curly headed man were wrapped in each other's arms. She walked over to Finn and handed him a new beer before settling herself down to sit on his lap, facing Blaine. "You know, I almost tried to set you guys up once."

Blaine looked up from the sleeping angel to give Rachel an inquisitive look.

"I had just met you and I knew you were gay, you liked music and you were nice." She shrugged as if it should have been obvious. "But he had _just _started dating Spencer and wanted to see where things would go." She rolled her eyes as if to say _And look how that turned out _while simultaneously calling Spencer an asshole.

"I wish that had uh…happened…" Blaine confessed, trying his best not to look too embarrassed by the admission. It wasn't like they didn't both already know that he was hopelessly in love with Kurt.

Instead of snickering or smirking like before, Rachel smiled a sad smile and quietly answered, "Me too."

It was quiet for the next minute or two as they watched the serene rise and fall of Kurt's chest.

Lightly breaking the silence, Rachel piped up. "This is the first time I've seen him sleep so well since he started living here." A sad look flittered across her face again. "He has nightmares every night." She explained.

Blaine couldn't even think of words to say at the moment, so he just pulled Kurt closer to him, suddenly feeling that all too familiar wave of protectiveness crash through him.

"I hear him screaming but I don't think he knows." She reported sadly, letting Finn rock her back and forth slowly like a small child. "He locks his door so I can't get in; like he doesn't want me to see him being afraid." A tear escaped one of her large brown eyes and was swiftly scrubbed away by Finn's comically large thumb.

They all grew quiet after that, just sitting and drowning in their own personal trains of thought.

Blaine tugged Kurt closer and whispered, "Sweet dreams, sweetie." Into his ear, gentle as he could.

*~Line Break~*

Unfortunately, Finn was only in town for a few days before he had to catch his flight back to Ohio. "Gotta get back to the shop; Burt needs me!" he had joked happily, hugging Kurt long and good at the airport.

After much thought, Kurt decided that it was okay for Finn to tell their parents why he hadn't been around for the past few years. He figured it couldn't hurt too much seeing how Finn only knew the bare minimum. Also, this took the weight and worry off of Kurt's shoulders. If his parents could already have some sort of an idea of what he had been through, it would really make his job much easier and perhaps hold back some of the tough questions or inevitable inquiries into why he had changed so much, at bay for at least a little bit longer.

After Finn was gone, life returned to normal, which was still sort of a shock to Kurt that _this _was the normal he got to live now. He and Blaine had coffee every day and went out to dinner on Friday nights now. Kurt never apologized to Blaine for the things he had said or did when he was tired, he just shyly thanked Blaine for being a good listener and an even better pillow. The increasing comfort that Kurt showed with physical contact seemed like a good sign to Blaine.

Two weeks later and a little over a week to go until Christmas, Kurt got a call from Blaine.

"Hey, so, I know it's a little early, but I sort of got your Christmas present already and I don't really want to wait to give it to you." Blaine's smile was just as evident as his nervousness. "Would you like to come over to my place for dinner tonight?"

Kurt felt a blush rising on his cheeks as he quietly answered with a yes and hung up to pick out the perfect outfit. He ended up settling on a pair of black, slim fitted trousers and a red button down that really highlighted the pale pallor of his skin. He topped it off with a black blazer and a golden watch chain that hung from the pocket square and disappeared into the interior of the jacket. Deciding to have some fun with it and get creative, Kurt threw on cuff links that had small golden chains dangling from them. Then the perfect idea to bring the whole outfit together struck him. He glanced at the clock to make sure he had enough time and burst into action. He grabbed one of his many black pocket squares and folded in so in would be a perfect little triangle poking out from his chest pocket. He also chose black because, not only did he have plenty of them, but it would blend in with his black blazer. He pulled out his sewing kit and riffled through his jar of buttons until he found what he was looking for. They were small gears, like the kind you would find in an old fashioned clock. He had found them at a flea market once long ago and had been waiting for a chance to use them. He picked out all of the gold ones, gave them each a quick shine and sewed them onto his pocket square, covering in completely. When he was done, he snipped any loose threads and tucked it carefully into his chest pocket, admiring his work.

He nodded to himself in the mirror, deciding that the outfit was a success and left the apartment to grab a cab to Blaine's.

The ride didn't take long, perhaps only ten or fifteen minutes in light traffic. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Blaine's door, knocking gently.

After a few sounds of shuffling from inside the apartment, the door opened to be filled with a smiling Blaine. "Hey, Kurt," he said a little too dreamily for between friends, "I love the outfit." He complimented honestly, eyeing the pocket square with something akin to fascination.

"Thank you," Kurt said shyly, yet smiling brightly at the slightly shorter man.

"So," Blaine said playfully, body still blocking the doorway, "I have your Christmas present in here and I didn't have enough time or paper to wrap it, so I need you to close your eyes, okay?"

Kurt chuckled yet obliged willingly. He allowed Blaine to grasp his hand firmly and tug him into the apartment, shutting the door lightly behind him before letting Blaine pull him forward just a few steps more. Blaine's hand left his only to reappear on his shoulder and angle him to face the other side of the living room.

"Merry Christmas, Kurt." Blaine whispered, mouth close to Kurt's ear. Kurt happily noticed that he didn't flinch at this. Instead, a shiver of pleasure washed down his spine as Blaine's warm breath washed over his ear. Shaking those thoughts from his head, he opened his eyes.

And he froze. His mind refused to think anymore as it grinded to a halt. Only one word came to mind.

"Dad?" he felt his voice break, almost like he didn't believe it was real.

But there stood Burt Hummel wearing one of his many flannel shirts and baseball caps, with Carol not far behind, eyes glinting with tears and arms open wide.

"Hey kiddo."

**A/N: So first things first: Burt is the best thing since sliced bread! Who's with me?! So, what did you think guys? Was it worth it? Can you still feel your eyes after staring at a computer screen that long? Do you have a slight headache now? If yes, is it due to the sheer length of this chapter or due to all of the emotions hopefully coursing through your veins right now? (I'm hoping it's the later; that means I did my job right) Please review or send me a PM! As always, I love you all!**


	10. Chapter 9

**So, you may be wondering why it took me so long to update this story. And I'll tell you why. First off, this whole week has been insane, especially today! I had a lot of projects going on at the same time and all the deadlines seemed to be this week! Plus, I broke down on the side of the road today on my way to a doctor's appointment, which I absolutely COULD NOT miss, so I got there late. Then I had a banquet that I was obligated to go to tonight which lasted a lot longer than I thought it would. THEN, on top of it all, I'm going to New York in a couple of hours (That's right, I have to leave at four A.M….ew…) and I still need to finish packing, plus, I need to finish an essay that's due before three-thirty A.M. and email it to my teacher before my flight! So I'm a little overwhelmed! Understandably, I didn't have a whole lot of time to proof read the end, so I'm sorry if it's messy but I wanted to upload it before I go to New York, because I'm not taking my laptop with me. The second reason it took so blasted long was because this chapter is a MONSTER! You thought the last chapter was long? Hell, I did! Well this chapter is 22,737 words long! That's right, I went CRAZY! It's 47 pages long on Word Document, single spaced 11 point font! I'm still not entirely sure how that happened… I really hope you like it. So enjoy your vacation with the Hummels!...Plus Rachel…and Blaine…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee**

**Chapter 9**

You know that moment when you're living something that you'd never thought would _actually _happen? Sure, you've dreamed of it, but you never allowed yourself to be that foolish to actually believe that it could happen anywhere outside of REM sleep or mindless daydreams at the office. But, here you are, and it's right in front of your eyes and it's not only within reach, but brushing the tips of your fingers. It's the exact moment that it hits you like a tidal wave, that you-in all your imperfection, all of your flaws and misfortune-have somehow either deserved this or it was merely a cosmic mistake…but you really _don't _care, because no matter what the motives or reasons, it is one of the few things in this world that is pure and simple good. And for a fleeting moment, it's yours; you are living that moment. It's one of those moments.

"Dad?" Kurt asked again, that tidal wave of realization hitting him hard. An overwhelming happiness filled his entire being as he reveled in the soft, gentle look in his father's eyes.

His feet were moving before he even consciously decided to. Kurt's slow, almost tentative, steps soon became long strides that carried him across the room and straight into his father's arm.

"Dad…" he whispered into his father's neck. Rebel tears began to form behind his eyelids which had closed at some point between the embrace and the deep inhalation of his father's flannel clad shoulder. He still smelled the exact same: motor oil, fresh cut lumber, and home. Kurt hoped that would never change. "I t-thought you'd f-forgotten about me…" he confessed

Burt was sniffing as he tightened his grip around his son; hugging him fiercely to his chest like he never wanted to let go. "Never, Kurt. Never." He sniffed again, never one to worry about being 'unmanly' despite appearances. "God I missed you." He whispered, a hand sneaking up to hold the back of Kurt's head like one would hold a baby who couldn't yet support the weight of their own head.

Kurt was breathless and he gave one final vice-like squeeze and pulled himself away to properly look at his father.

He looked the tiniest bit older, but all in all the last few years had been kind to him. Perhaps it helped that Burt Hummel had started balding way back when Kurt was a little boy, so the lack of hair wasn't a surprise or an accurate display of aging. Despite his best efforts, Kurt had never been able to get Burt into something other than flannel shirts and baseball caps, but it didn't matter to him that much really. It didn't matter what his dad wore as long as he still loved him. Carol though, who was waiting patiently by their side with tears pooling in her eyes, was still working with the makeover Kurt had given her all those years ago. She was dressed in a pretty light blue dress and black leggings, paired with silver flats and a heavy navy pea coat for warmth.

Kurt pulled away from his dad, almost reluctantly, to be swept into another hug by Carol who was crying freely as she squeezed the hell out of him. It wasn't unwelcome though, Kurt found. He squeezed her right back and enjoyed the softness of a mother's embrace.

When Kurt was finally free off all embraces, he stepped back and ran a finger under his eyes to catch any tears of joy that may have fallen. He found one or two and quickly scrubbed them away before standing in front of his parents a tad awkwardly, not entirely sure what to do next.

"Alright!" Burt sighed, clapping his hands together as he too dried his own tears which were much more numerous than his son's. A smile spread across his face in true joy and content. "So, Carol and I are going to go put our bags away and then we're going to take you out to dinner. Sound good?"

"Sure," Kurt agreed, still in shock at the turn of events as his parents walked by him and down the hallway.

Finally coming back down to the rest of the world, Kurt spun around, eyes finding Blaine still standing across the room with a look of pure adoration on his face.

"Where are they going?" Kurt asked, his brow furrowed in confusion as he realized that Burt and Carol had gone the opposite direction of the front door, deeper into the apartment.

"I offered for them to stay here instead of getting a hotel." Blaine explained. His hands were casually in his pockets and he spoke as though it was no big deal whatsoever.

"Y-you…wait, what? How did this happen? How did you do this?" Kurt stuttered, feeling awfully confused.

"I got Finn's number before he left," Blaine began, speaking in an offhand sort of voice that Kurt knew wasn't just an act. "I called him a few days after he was gone and asked if he could talk to your parents about maybe coming up to New York on my dime." Kurt's eyes got wide at this. _Blaine had paid for their flight? _"About a day later, I get a call from your dad wanting to know who I am and why I wanted to fly them up here. Apparently they wanted to hear it from me to make sure Finn wasn't exaggerating."

"And what did you say?" Kurt asked quietly, still rooted in his spot across the living room.

Blaine dropped his eyes almost shyly and began to fidget with the hem of his soft white cashmere sweater. "I said that I was a friend of yours and that I knew you missed them. I guess Finn had told them about Spencer's letter and the…uh, misunderstanding, and just Spencer…in general. I offered to fly them up here and, after much persuasion, I was able to get them to crash here instead of pay for a hotel room. I guess they trust your judgment," Blaine smiled, loving the small blush that crept up Kurt's stunned face. "If I'm good enough to be your friend, then I must be safe enough to room with."

Kurt took a deep breath, trying to get his mind to process correctly. "So…for my Christmas present, you…flew my parents to New York and are letting them…_stay _with you?" Kurt asked with incredulity towards the end.

Blaine nibbled on his bottom lip nervously and nodded, glancing up at Kurt from underneath his ridiculously long eyelashes. "You deserve it, Kurt. I just…" he trailed off, entirely unsure of what his next words should be and looking downright scared. "I'm sorry if I overstepped or something. I know it's probably really weird for me to get you your _family _as like, a present or something, but I-I just, you deserve it so much, and you showed me that scrapbook and I could tell that you missed your dad and Carol and I…I just saw an opportunity to fix it. You know…make you happy." Blaine finally looked back up to see Kurt standing right in front of him. He hadn't even heard a creak of the floorboards at his approach.

Kurt was staring at him with some unnamed emotion in his eyes before he practically dove straight into Blaine. He wrapped his impossibly long arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. Blaine's arms immediately wrapped around Kurt's trim waist without even a second of thought.

"Blaine…" Kurt nearly whined, sounding close to tears as he buried his face securely into Blaine's neck and breathed deep. "I, you're…_oh Blaine_…" Kurt huffed in irritation when his words refused to cooperate. Rather abruptly, he pulled back and grabbed Blaine's face in between his long fingered hands and pulled their foreheads together in a move reminiscent of Blaine's the night of the heart to heart.

Kurt's breathy pants repeatedly hit Blaine in the face, making him dizzy as his hazel eyes remained glued to the beautiful man whose arms were once again locked around his shoulders and eyes were closed as he fought back tears of joy.

"Blaine…I'm-I'm so _glad _I met you." Kurt was able to force out between whimpers and tugs to bring Blaine in impossibly closer.

Blaine's breathing picked up speed as the words hit him hard in the heart. To have someone _want _you is an astonishing thing; especially when that someone is Kurt. Their hot breath mingled in between them as Blaine's eyes flicked down to Kurt's lips for what had to be the thousandth time since they'd met.

A cough broke them from their little moment and embrace to see a very amused looking Burt and Carole standing in the mouth of the hallway, eyes shining brightly and with a hint of curiosity.

"Ready to go, kiddo?" Burt asked, heading towards the door with Carol right behind.

"Sure, dad." Kurt replied with an air of wonder in his voice, like he still couldn't believe that he was able to say that to a real person that wasn't just in his imagination or memories.

They reached the door and Carol slipped out, followed by Kurt and finally Burt, who stopped in the doorway and turned around.

"You coming, Blaine?" Burt asked just as Blaine seated himself on the couch, and was pulling out a Vogue magazine from underneath a stack of magazines on his coffee table. His eyes became confused as his triangle eyebrows scrunched in a lack of understanding. His face practically radiated with the question _Huh?_

Finally, realization struck and Blaine stood quickly, the magazine slipping from his fingers and back down to the table top. "Oh, no, no, there's no need to invite me! Go and have some family time." He assured hurriedly.

"No, it's fine." Burt insisted, waving his hand toward him, gesturing for Blaine to join them. "The more the merrier."

And just as Blaine was about to protest again, Kurt just had to squeeze his head back into the apartment, just over his dad's shoulder and do the most adorable puppy dog face on the entire planet and say, "Come on Blaine, please?" And Blaine caved.

He threw on his wool pea coat but decided against buttoning it when Kurt immediately tangled their arms together and huddled close.

Kurt and Blaine, being New Yorkers and knowing where the restaurant was, took the lead, walking in front of Burt and Carol who were walking arm in arm as well.

"I like your sweater." Kurt complimented quietly, leaning closer into Blaine, like it was some great secret. Gently, he pulled one of his arms free from Blaine's and petted the soft cashmere of the sweater right over Blaine's heart, making it flutter and skip a beat or two. "White looks really good with your skin tone."

"Thank you," Blaine barely remembered to say. After all, Kurt's hand gently rubbing at his chest was one of the most distracting things he had ever experienced. "And I love your pocket square. Did you make it?" Blaine reached over and touched the pocket square lightly. While it was true that he liked the accessory, it was also an excuse to put his hands on Kurt's chest as well. _Fair is fair, _Blaine reasoned with himself.

Kurt blushed lightly and nodded proudly.

"Well in that case, I'll keep my eyes open for Kurt Hummel originals in the very near future." Blaine said playfully as he enjoyed the rush of pink to Kurt's cheeks as he ducked his head shyly. "No, I'm serious. If you can do _this _with a pocket square, I can't even imagine what sort of outfits you could design."

Kurt lifted his head to meet Blaine's eyes. His baby blues held such hope that Blaine wanted nothing more than to kiss the tip of his nose and coo sweet nothings into his ear. However, he was fairly certain that friends didn't do that. They apparently walked arm in arm though, so Blaine just tugged Kurt a little closer and continued walking until they reached the restaurant.

The restaurant was an oriental style restaurant, complete with paper lanterns above the tables and jade statues scattered about. The lighting was relaxing and dimmed throughout the entire establishment. Small tea light candles sat on each table, flickering away warmly. It was a very welcome sight compared to the chilly New York winter outside. There was a lively buzz to the place, but no obnoxiously loud parties for which they were all thankful.

Burt and Carole naturally settled down on one side of the small rectangular table, leaving Blaine and Kurt on the other side.

"So Finn tells me you're working at Vogue still, right?" Burt asked as soon as they'd ordered their drinks.

Kurt nodded and twisted his hands nervously in his lap. He loved his dad-that would never change-but it had been so many years since they had last talked. Now that the spotlight had been thrust upon him, Kurt felt like a fish out of water; unsure of what to do next.

"So what do you do there?" Carol asked sweetly. She had the same gentle, warm smile that Kurt had always loved. It felt sort of like home.

"I'm a fashion writer." He answered with a little smile of his own, a small reservoir of courage finally being found and tapped. Slowly, he began to remember what it was like to be with his family; to be a part of his family.

"Sounds exciting!" Carol enthused sincerely. She turned her gaze to Blaine with a little good natured smirk. Pointing her thumb at Kurt she told Blaine, "Let me tell you, I never thought his one would end up in journalism. I mean, fashion? Sure. But all he ever talked about was performing." Her gaze shifted into complete mother mode as she added, "He has an incredible voice."

"So I've heard." Blaine said teasingly as he poked Kurt in the side and earned a blush from the slender man. "And when exactly do I get to hear this incredible voice, Mr. Hummel?"

"Oh, uh, I-I d-don't really, well, I mean, I don't k-know, I just-" Kurt's face became redder and redder and it really didn't help that he was sitting right next to Blaine because it just made the shorter man want to cuddle him so bad it wasn't even funny. A flustered Kurt was adorable.

"Whoa there, kiddo, calm down." Burt chuckled as he reached out and patted Kurt's hands, which had ended up on the table. As soon as Burt's large, rough hand landed on Kurt's he flinched back some. It was just a little, but it was enough to notice. The table became quiet as everyone's eyes seemed to converge on Kurt's clasped hands. Burt's eyes flashed with hurt, and not just any old hurt. It was the kind of pain that only a parent can feel when they know their child has been hurt. Carol had a very similar look in her eyes, while Blaine's held a touch of surprise. Kurt had been doing so good lately; he was stuttering less and he hardly flinched anymore. I mean, for Christ's sake, he voluntarily clung onto Blaine on the walk over. But then it clicked. Blaine knew that Kurt felt safe around his father, but it had been a long time and a meaty hand unexpectedly clapping down on him was sure to bring up some unpleasant memories.

Very shyly, as if he was afraid of a physical repercussion, Kurt peaked up under his lashes at his dad. "I'm sorry," he apologized. And he _was _sorry. He was sorry for hurting his dad's feelings, he was sorry for flinching, he was sorry for still being plagued by nightmares and memories-even at the pat of a hand, he was sorry for showing weakness, and he was sorry for allowing his dad to see how pathetic he'd become.

Slowly and deliberately, Burt reached out and grasped Kurt's bundled hands in between his two bear like paws. "It's okay, Kurt." He whispered it, afraid that his voice might break or that tears might begin forming in his eyes. Now was not the time or place for that though. "We'll talk later, okay buddy?"

Kurt nodded and sniffed resolutely, deciding that he wasn't going to ruin their first family dinner in years by making a big emotional scene in public. _Well family plus Blaine, _Kurt thought whilst sneaking a glance at the very man in question. The curly headed man had a magnificent smile on his face that was currently directed at Carol as the two struck up a conversation about something Ohio related. Kurt was a little too distracted by this man's beauty to zone in on the current topic of discussion. The way that Blaine effortlessly melted into his family made Kurt feel all warm and fuzzy inside like he couldn't really explain. Perhaps an intense sense of belonging? But it felt greater than that. It was almost like Blaine was made to be a part of the family. That thought jarred Kurt back to reality quick. _Like _join _the family? Like marriage?! _That little ass of a voice sounded in his head. But no matter how much Kurt wanted to-and tried to- ignore that voice, Kurt couldn't help the way his heart sped up at the sight of Carol cooing over Blaine and said target of affection blushing wonderfully under the praise.

Taking in the way Blaine was resting his forearms on the table top and leaning forward in genuine interest in Carol's story, Kurt gently repeated his hold on Blaine's nearest arm from earlier. Blaine stilled for a split second as he felt Kurt gently loop his long hands around Blaine's bicep and pulled himself close enough to nestle lightly into his side. Lightly, but definitely still contact all down the sides of their bodies. Blaine stopped for only a second or two before turning his head to smile adoringly at Kurt.

Hardly missing a beat, Blaine turned back to Carol as if his heart wasn't positively beating out of his chest. Lightly, he placed his hand over Kurt's and held them in place, enjoying how simple such a gesture was yet how exciting at the same time.

Blaine had never fallen in love before. Sure, there had been crushes, but nothing too serious. No one had grabbed his attention. Not with looks nor intellect nor charm. No one had seemed special enough or worth it. Until Kurt.

Reveling in these thoughts, Blaine let his thumb trace random patterns onto Kurt's hands and enjoyed the silky smoothness of his milky white skin underneath his fingertips.

Meanwhile, Carol wasn't blind to the sight of love. Whatever was or wasn't going on between Kurt and Blaine was irrelevant to her because she knew just by looking at them, that they loved one another totally and completely. And as Kurt's stepmother, she couldn't help but be so happy that her stepson, whom she considered her own, had found such a keeper. Hell, any man who looked at their loved one like that was a keeper. It made it awfully hard to scrape that smile off of her face.

Eventually, they ordered their food and were stuffing their faces soon enough. Kurt reluctantly pulled his hands away when he found that he needed them to use the chopsticks to eat. He found that he rather liked being close to Blaine. Instead of feeling overwhelmed or scared around his presence, he felt safe and protected; like the world couldn't touch him, or rather, like the world didn't matter so much anymore.

Conversation was kept light and lively for the remainder of dinner, for which Kurt was grateful. Carol seemed extremely interested in Blaine's job and had endless questions which Blaine seemed to really enjoy answering. Burt told funny stories about the shop and Kurt offered funny observations about living with the infamous Rachel Berry. Towards the end of their meal, Burt ordered a small sushi platter and had the waiter add it to their ticket.

"Midnight snack, dad?" Kurt admonished, "Because I hardly approve. Eating so close to bed isn't good for your heart."

Burt threw his son a little eye brow quirk as if to say _some things never change, eh? _"It's actually for Finn, so don't frown your face off."

"Finn? He's here too?" Kurt actually looked around as if expecting the giant man to pop out like a surprise party guest.

"Of course he is." Burt laughed. "When Blaine offered to fly him out too, he could hardly wait to see you again."

"And Rachel." Kurt added.

"Which is whom he's staying with while we're here."

"Finn's staying at Rachel's?" Kurt asked in a borderline sulky tone. Burt nodded. "Ew."

Burt's face shifted to a look of complete complexion. "What do you mean _ew_?"

"Dad, they're an adult couple, in love, who live in different states and hardly get to see each other. What do you think they do when they get together?" He lifted a challenging eyebrow, almost daring his father to say it out loud.

"Okay, now _that's_ ew. I don't need to be hearing about these sorts of things. Especially when it involves my stepson." Burt scrunched up his nose and held up his hands defensively.

Blaine cleared his throat softly as they rose from their tables and donned their coats, announcing his entrance into the conversation. "That's actually a pretty good segue into the proposition I have for you."

Kurt just tilted his head, allowing him to continue.

"I was wondering if you'd like to…maybe stay at my place while your parents are in town?" He felt that all too familiar heat rush to his cheeks and was intensely grateful for the darkness that enveloped them as they stepped out of the restaurant and onto the sidewalk.

It took the slender brunette a few minutes to find his voice, but when he did it was surprisingly stable. "Stay at your place?"

Blaine nodded nervously. "Sure. That way Finn and Rachel could have the apartment all to themselves for the next few days and you would get more time with your parents." _And _I'll _get more time with you._

Kurt walked silently beside Blaine for a minute, trying to gather his thoughts. Logically, it made sense; Blaine made some good points. But he knew it was the idea of spending more time with Blaine that was making his heart race just a little faster. "Um…yeah. Okay, sure." He shyly smiled at Blaine and was met by a huge toothy grin from the curly headed man.

"Great!" He was so genuine in his excitement that Kurt couldn't help but smile right back a little less timidly.

Their bodies had shifted closer together, as if by instinct. Neither of them really noticed when Kurt looped his slender arm through Blaine's yet again. They were too caught up in staring with heart eyes at one another.

"So, uh, you want to swing by your place and grab some clothes for the next few days?" Burt interrupted, a little amused as he glanced between his son and the other love struck man.

Kurt nodded. "Absolutely. There is no way I'm going even one night without my nightly face moisturizing routine."

To this, Burt chuckled. "I guess some things never change."

*~Line Break~*

After another round of bear hugs from Finn, Kurt had finally managed to pack a duffel bag that he could still carry on the rest of the walk home. Even though the moment they stepped out of the apartment, Blaine had wordlessly taken the bag from Kurt and slung it over his own shoulder. To get Kurt to quit protesting, he had taken a chance and held out his elbow with a raised eyebrow. Kurt relented as he gladly accepted the invitation to link arms with Blaine. Blaine had decided that if this was how they were going to walk when they were around one another, he might have to start suggesting long, marathon length walks to pass their time.

Later that night, Blaine had finished changing the sheets on the guest room bed and helped the Hudson-Hummels get situated. Kurt hovered around and helped whenever he could, but mainly, he just really liked how much Blaine seemed to care about every little detail for the sake of his family's coziness and happiness. Either he was took hospitality to heart, secretly ran a bed and breakfast, or he just honestly _cared. _Kurt was pretty sure it was the last one.

Burt and Carol had wished them both a goodnight and retired to their room, leaving the two men standing in the living room a tad awkwardly.

"So, my bedroom is down the hall at the very end. Make yourself at home." Blaine smiled as he stretched out on the couch.

Kurt blinked a few times, uncomprehending. "Wait, Blaine, you can't be serious! You are _not _giving up your bed to me. I'll take the couch, I don't mind, really. I'm used to it." The last part accidently slipped out and he felt the blood leave his face in an instant. Here they were, having a perfectly nice evening and he just had to go and ruin it with his pitiful past. _Stupid, stupid, stupid, _his internal mantra started up instantly.

Next thing he knew, a face was in front of his own and filling his vision. A gentle voice slowly began to drown out the words running through his head. "But what if I_ want_ you to take the bed? Will you do it for me? Please, Kurt?" After topping it off with a ridiculous set of puppy dog eyes, Kurt conceded and retreated to the bedroom.

He was intensely glad that Blaine hadn't made him talk about it. He knew that Blaine had known what he meant by 'I'm used to it', but he was eternally grateful to him for letting him have just one really good day.

Kurt quickly changed into his silk pajamas and, having already completed his skin care regime and deciding to shower in the morning, he clicked the lights off and gingerly crawled underneath the covers. It was a comfortable bed and Blaine had some high thread count sheets on it, but Kurt just wasn't tired yet. He tossed and turned for nearly thirty minutes before deciding to get a glass of water or start a puzzle or solve world hunger; anything to distract him from his inability to sleep.

Kurt decided a glass of water was probably the easiest of his list so he tiptoed to the kitchen.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked, stopping in the mouth of the hallway to find Blaine sitting on the couch with a jar of peanut butter and a spoon while he scrolled through his iPod to find something to listen to, the room only lit by moonlight. "What are you doing?"

Blaine's head snapped up and stared wide eyed at the unexpected voice, the spoon still dangling from his mouth. Realizing his silly expression, Blaine hurriedly pulled the spoon from his lips as a blush colored his face. "I, uh, I have a bit of a sweet tooth." He shrugged a little embarrassedly.

Kurt was biting his bottom lip to try and stop the smile that curved his lips. But he couldn't stop the amusement from making his eyes sparkle. "Well, that's hardly a _real _dessert." He walked over to Blaine and pulled the jar and spoon from his hands.

Silently, Kurt walked over to the kitchen area and began rooting around in the cabinets. Blaine watched with wide, curious eyes. He had twisted his torso around while his lower half remained sitting Indian style.

It helped that the living room was only separated from the kitchen area by the kitchen island, therefore there was nothing pesky, like, oh…a wall, to obscure his view. The kitchen was on the opposite side of the room as the front door. If you were to walk in through that door, you'd see the living room, and the kitchen at the back. There wasn't really a dining room, but a table with chairs was set on the right side of the living room area. In the left back corner of the room, was the one and only hallway that had a guest room on the right, a bathroom on the left and the master bed at the very end of the hallway. Over all, it was a very open apartment which allowed a person to see about half of the home just by sitting on the couch, which Blaine was taking full advantage of at the moment.

Kurt worked efficiently, hardly making a noise as he moved gracefully from here to there. Blaine watched in fascination, absolutely intrigued by Kurt's skilled fingers pinching ingrediance and adding a dash or a hint of cocoa powder or vanilla extract. He was definitely not new to cooking. He glanced at Kurt's face and saw the absolute peace that radiated off of him.

After mixing together everything in a small bowl, Kurt poured it into a large red coffee mug and baked it in the microwave for two minutes.

He pulled it out with a hot pad and then searched deep into the recesses of Blaine's refrigerator for whipped cream and chocolate sauce. After checking the expiration dates, he was pleased to find them safe for consumption and added them to the top of his creation.

Proudly, Kurt walked it over to Blaine whose face shone with wonder as he stared at the oozing chocolate drizzled over the fluffy white corkscrew of whipped cream on top. He looked endearingly like a kid who was told they could skip dinner and go straight to dessert.

"What is this?" He asked excitedly as Kurt handed him the mug and a clean spoon.

Kurt sat down next to him, crossing his legs Indian style and sitting so he was facing Blaine with his whole body. Blaine turned his body to mirror Kurt's position. "It's a chocolate microwave mug cake." He explained as Blaine ate the first bite of the spongy cocoa flavored cake.

Blaine couldn't stop his eyes from rolling back a little and letting out a small moan that made them both blush. "Oh my God, this is delicious!" he complimented, taking another bite. "Is there anything you _can't _do?"

Kurt ducked his head and mumbled something along the lines of _Oh, there's plenty. _

Blaine wasn't having any of that though. He used one of his index fingers to tilt Kurt's chin back up and waited until he had achieved eye contact before continuing. "Hey now, none of that. You can sew, you can cook, and apparently you have a pretty good singing voice." He teased with the last one which ended up eliciting a small giggle from the slender beauty.

"Carol was exaggerating." Kurt stated, still seeming nervous although he kept his head up and eyes on Blaine.

"Somehow, I doubt that." Blaine gave him one more blindingly beautiful smile and then leaned back to continue devouring his dessert.

They sat in companionable silence for a spell while Blaine focused on eating and Kurt focused on not staring at how Blaine's tongue would poke out here and there to clean up little drips of chocolate that landed on his lips.

"Why didn't you make one for yourself?" Blaine finally thought to ask when he was about halfway through his own.

"Oh, I'm not really that hungry." Kurt automatically replied. It was somewhat of a failsafe for him.

Blaine's eyes narrowed the smallest fraction. He didn't like it when Kurt avoided food. Of course he was worried about his health, but he also hated the fact that, based on a few of the stories he'd heard tonight, Kurt hadn't always been like this. In fact, Kurt was a very different person. He was confident and sassy 100% of the time. He sang and danced on stages for everyone to see. He had dreams and ambitions and determination. He believed in himself. Blaine loved this Kurt who was sitting on the couch next to him, but _because _he loved him, he wanted him to regain what he had lost-what had been taken from him.

"Well, you know, it _is _an awful lot of food for just one person. So," he scooped up a good sized spoonful and held it teasingly out to Kurt, "would you mind helping me out?"

"O-oh, no, I couldn't. I made it for you." Kurt softly declined.

Blaine threw a playful pout onto his face and pleaded with his eyes. "I know, alas I am but a small man, Kurt. I physically don't have enough room inside of my short stature to fit all of this food."

Kurt couldn't help but giggle at that. Blaine's logic was silly and refreshing; Kurt found that he rather liked it. "Well you may have a point there, short stuff." Kurt joked, smiling at Blaine with a hint of fondness in his bluish eyes.

Before Blaine could complain about the short joke, Kurt leaned forward quickly to eat the cake off of the spoon. He did it so matter of fact. There was no seductive peak up through the lashes, no drag of the lips slowly across the metal of the spoon, and no moan of pleasure when he tasted the chocolate. No, there was none of that, so why did Blaine find it so damn attractive when Kurt simply ate off of the same spoon as him, while he basically fed it _to _him? The urge to kiss Kurt became almost too much for Blaine to handle in his surprisingly frazzled state, to taste the chocolate off of Kurt's tongue, making it ten times sweeter.

Kurt, oblivious to what he had just done to Blaine, leaned back and chewed the cake, hiding his mouth behind his hand as if he didn't want anyone to know. However, the little sneaky grin on his face showed that he didn't have any regrets.

"I used to make these for Finn when we were in high school. Otherwise, he would have eaten himself into a sugar coma.

Blaine chuckled but decided against speaking when Kurt got that faraway look in his eyes that usually signaled that he had more to say.

But when the words didn't come, Blaine gently asked, "What were you like in high school?" He had heard everyone else talk about him and what he was like except for Kurt himself. He was curious to know what Kurt had seen in the mirror back then.

A soft smile stretched across his porcelain face. "I was…unrelenting. I never apologized for who I was." Kurt broke through the haze of memories and came back to the present where Blaine was sitting patiently with rapped attention. "I mean, there I was, the only out gay kid in the entire school and I joined the football team and the cheerleading squad and Glee! I never let anyone tell me what to do; I just did it my way, even if it got me in trouble."

"Trouble?" Blaine asked.

Kurt emitted a dry chuckle and slowly began with, "I had…a little bit of a...sharp tongue, you could call it. I just sort of said what was on my mind, regardless of the consequences." He stopped there to let out another small chuckle, shaking his head as he remembered some of his finer and not so fine of moments.

"Oh God, consequences?" Blaine couldn't stop the smile from polluting his face as he watched Kurt let out little laughs of his own.

Kurt nodded.

"Alright; worst consequence of this sharp tongue; Go!" Blaine challenged playfully.

Kurt's face instantly dropped as he instantly placed the winner of that contest. For a small second, he wondered if he should tell Blaine the truth or if he should pick a different instance. After all, Blaine would never know. But Kurt liked how their friendship was built on honesty and he didn't want to ruin that.

Catching on to Kurt's mood change, Blaine reached a hand out to place on top of Kurt's clasped hands that were resting on his feet. He picked them up gently and cradled them in his own warm hands. "Was it bad?" He whispered.

Kurt nodded his head very minutely; just the smallest movement of the head.

"You know you don't have to tell me, right?" Very carefully, he began rubbing circles into the back of Kurt's hands with his thumbs.

Kurt had his eyes glued to the bundle that was their hands, hanging in between their bodies. Not that there was big void between them though. In fact, at some point they must have begun shifting towards one another because their knees were almost knocking. Blaine's hands were so _warm, _while Kurt's always felt so frigid. Kurt, who always felt cold, realized that he didn't feel quite so chilled when he was around Blaine.

Kurt nodded his head that yes, he understood he had a right to privacy, but he let the story come out anyways. "As the only gay kid in my high school, I was the target for most bullies. Every day was locker slams and dumpster tosses and slushy facials-"

"-Sorry, but slushy facials?" Blaine inquired.

"That's when you get a slushy thrown in your face."

Blaine made a face of distaste and grimaced. "Ouch! That must have burned."

Kurt rolled his eyes like it was the understatement of the century. "Oh, believe me, it did. Not to mention the sheer number of garments it destroyed." He shook his head before snapping out of it and returning to the story. "Well, anyways, there was this one bully who was the worst: Karofsky. He just…_hated _me. So, one day, he slammed me into my locker really hard when I wasn't looking and I just…I don't know, lost it? I got so angry that this was my every day and I was tired of it. So, in a last second decision, I decide that I'm going to do something to stop it." Kurt's gaze dropped from Blaine's and fixated on their hands again. "I followed him into the locker room and started yelling at him that being gay wasn't a disease and no one was going to 'catch' it from me and that this had to stop. I even told him to hit me, because it wasn't going to change a thing. Instead of hitting me…he kissed me. And then he threatened to kill me if I told anyone."

Blaine gasped before he could even think to stop himself. His hands tightened around Kurt's as he continued to draw senseless, and hopefully soothing, patterns on Kurt's cold hands.

"That was my first kiss." Kurt added quietly, his voice now an almost inaudible whisper.

Out of nowhere, Blaine stood up, still holding Kurt's hands and urging the taller man to stand with him. After a moment of trying to figure out why Blaine wanted him to rise, he lost all train of thought as Blaine wrapped him up in tight hug.

"It's easier to hug you when we're both standing," Blaine mumbled into Kurt's neck, making the lithe man shiver, which only made Blaine pull him closer. Sure, Blaine had heard the story from Finn, but that had been a very bare bones version. To hear it from the lips of the abused-his beloved- that was painful beyond words. And he hadn't known that it was Kurt's _first _kiss.

"I swear, some of the consequences were funnier than that." Kurt attempted to lighten the mood and it seemed to work as Blaine smiled and chuckled a little. The raven haired man pulled back to sit back down, once again, pulling Kurt with him.

Once seated, Kurt immediately snuggled into Blaine's side, not ready to give up the closeness yet. It was almost like getting him his parent's for a present had earned Blaine cuddles for life; not that he was complaining. Not one bit.

They sat in silence until Kurt slowly began to talk about school again, but more importantly, _himself, _as an individual.

They didn't even realize when the clock hit two in the morning. They just kept talking and talking and talking until they couldn't keep their eyes open any longer and sleep claimed them.

*~Line Break~*

Carole woke up early the next morning. She tried rolling over and getting a little more sleep, but she was too energized. Taking a quick peak at the digital clock on the bedside table she saw that it was seven in the morning. She knew that Burt would probably be up in the next hour, as he was accustomed to getting up early so he could get in a nice full day at the shop, and if memory served, Kurt had always been a bit of an early riser. She wasn't sure what Blaine was like, but two out of three was enough to sway her decision. She stood quietly and slid her slippers on to protect her feet against the cold wooden floors. She walked towards the door, stopping to place a kiss on a sleeping Burt's forehead before quietly exiting the room and closing the door behind her. She walked down the hall and out into the living/dining/kitchen area.

She knew that Blaine had taken the couch, so, as silently as possible, she surveyed what she had to work with. She pulled out a carton of eggs and some ham to cook. She was also able to find enough to make some plain pancakes. _Not too shabby for a bachelor, _she thought approvingly.

"Mmm, morning." She heard Blaine's sleepy voice say softly from the couch.

Apparently she wasn't as quiet as she had hoped. Just as she was about to respond, she heard an equally sleep infused voice respond with, "Good morning."

Carol froze, because, even husky with sleep, the voice was distinctively Kurt's. She bit her lip to keep from squealing and giving away her eavesdropping. From where she was, the back of the couch was facing her, meaning that if a person, or two people in this case, were lying down, they wouldn't be able to see her and she couldn't see them.

She heard Kurt giggle a little and Blaine answer with a chuckle of his own. "What?" Blaine asked.

"You're scruffy;" Kurt answered, "it tickles."

"Oh does it now?" Blaine teased, and then she heard a soft scratching noise, as if Blaine was purposefully rubbing his stubble across Kurt, which only elicited giggles of delight from the man under assault.

"Okay, okay, stop!" Kurt slurred, ending in a big yawn.

"Okay," Blaine relented. There was such warmth in his voice that Carol could almost see the loving smile that was plastered on his face. "Get some more sleep, sweetie." He said softly, letting out a yawn of his own.

Kurt replied with a barely audible "Okay." And then they both went silent again.

Carol stood still, waiting until she heard a very soft snore come from who she assumed was Blaine, considering Kurt had never snored a day in his life. Very carefully, Carol walked over to the living room section of the apartment and rounded the end of the couch. What she saw made her slap her hand over her mouth to keep from squealing like a teenage girl.

Blaine was lying on his back, legs stretched out straight and fitting the length of the couch perfectly. Kurt was snuggled into Blaine's side, his legs bent and intertwined lightly with Blaine's to keep his feet from dangling off of the edge of the couch. His head was pillowed on one side of Blaine's chest while one of Kurt's hands was gripping the t-shirt material right over Blaine's heart on the other side of his chest; his other arm was somewhere underneath him. Blaine had both of his arms circled around Kurt's broad shoulders and his hands were gripping the silk material of Kurt's pajama shirt.

Carol watched as Kurt nuzzled his nose delicately into the place where Blaine's jaw and neck met, causing Blaine to pull Kurt a little further on top of him.

Not wanting to get caught staring at the boys in case they woke up, Carol skipped back over to the kitchen and began work on the pancakes.

She was fairly certain that when both of the boys had woken up, they had been so exhausted that they either wouldn't remember their little conversation or they were simply too tired to edit out all the obvious flirting. That didn't matter though, Carol already knew the truth, that was just the icing on top.

She saw the way Blaine looked at Kurt. No, scratch that; the way Blaine _gazed _at Kurt. He had it _bad. _He was a month or two into his friendship with Kurt and he was already head over heels in love with Kurt. But Carol's trained eye showed her that this love didn't go unrequited. She could see the little sparkle in Kurt's eyes at the very mention of Blaine. She saw the way he tentatively held on to Blaine; almost like he was afraid he would lose him. Kurt cherished Blaine. And, damn, if the two of them weren't the cutest couple she had ever seen! And they weren't even a couple yet!

Carol had heard the basic story about Spencer from Finn, as did Burt, so she knew that getting Blaine and Kurt together was going to take time and patience, but she fervently hoped that they would tough it out because she had a good feeling about Blaine. He seemed good for Kurt; gentle, caring, loving, a gentleman through and through-all the things that Kurt used to swoon over when he was in high school. But Blaine was something else. He was strong. Almost as strong as Kurt, and Carol could tell after only one day with him. Kurt could use someone who was as strong as him. And if that someone was Blaine, they would be unstoppable.

"Whattcha cooking?" Burt said happily as he waltzed into the kitchen.

Carol spun around and held the spatula up to her face in place of the single finger that was universally known as _Shhh!_

Burt looked puzzled until he heard a yawn and the head of Blaine popped up over the back of the sofa. His hair was curly and he still looked a little sleepy but he smiled over at the two parents in the kitchen. "Good Morning." He offered.

"Sorry if I woke you." Burt apologized, reddening at the glare that Carol was sending him. "Sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I did." And with that, Kurt's head popped up over the back of the sofa. His hair was sticking up in all different directions as he rubbed his eyes sleepily.

Immediately, Blaine's attentions were focused on Kurt. "Morning, sleepy head." He teased softly as he forgot about the two guests watching them in the kitchen.

"Morning, lumber-jack in training," Kurt teased right back, reaching out and petting the scruff on Blaine's jaw. The shorter man closed his eyes and hummed happily at the sensation.

"Morning, kiddo," Burt called awkwardly. He liked Blaine, but he didn't know how he felt watching his son wake up after having, apparently, slept with another man the night before. Even if sleeping was all that had happened last night, it was strange. So what if he was 25? Kurt was his son, his baby boy, and he always would be.

For the first time, Kurt realized that they weren't alone. He spun his head around and blushed madly before squeaking out, "H-hi dad. Good morning, Carol." He stood up and nervously looked around. "I'm, uh, I'm going to go get c-cleaned up, y-you know take a s-shower and stuff…" With that, he kept his head down as he speed walked it out of there and down the hall to the bathroom.

"I'm going to go take a shower too." Blaine decided, feeling nervous under the stare of Burt. "ALONE! I-I'm going to go take a shower _alone, _in the master bathroom's shower." He felt his face flood with red as he practically sprinted from the living room and down the hall to his room.

"Burt!" Carol reprimanded, slapping him on the back of the head.

"What?!" He questioned confusedly whilst rubbing the back of his head.

"You just had to go and ruin their moment, didn't you?"

"I wasn't aware they were _having _a moment until Kurt's head popped up over the back of the couch!"

Carol narrowed her eyes. "Well what about when they woke up and were saying good morning to each other? Did you really have to choose _then _to speak?"

"Carol," Burt chuckled, "If I hadn't spoken then, than they would have been there all day, gazing at one another."

Carol smiled at that. "You noticed it too?"

Burt's smile softened as he looked in the direction of the hallway. "Yeah, I noticed it too."

*~Line Break~*

Breakfast was delicious, much to Carol's delight. To _Kurt's _delight, breakfast wasn't nearly as awkward as he had feared. Burt and Blaine seemed to get along rather well and Carol was practically ready to take Blaine home with her. It was silly, it wasn't like Kurt was introducing Blaine to them as well…like a _boyfriend_, or anything. No, no, no, absolutely not, but he still had this strange flush of pride and affection knowing that his parents approved of Blaine so glowingly.

"So what are you guys planning on doing today?" Blaine asked as he leaned back in his chair and took a long pull of his coffee.

"You mean what are _we _going to do today." Carol corrected. She reached out and patted one of Blaine's hands that was wrapped around his coffee mug. "Unless you have other plans?" Carol thought to add.

"Well no but-"

"Great, then it's settled; you're coming!" Burt enthused, clapping Blaine amiably on the back as he passed to put his dirty dishes in the sink.

Blaine felt a smile spring to his face. He really liked Kurt's parents. He had never been accepted like this so completely by his own parents. It made him feel like a part of something. It was…incredible. With his parents, there had always been a distance that was unfixable. Blaine had tried, but no matter what he did or how good he did it, it was never enough for them to be pleased. With Burt and Carol, all he had to do was agree to spend a day with them and they were thrilled. He wondered if Kurt would be opposed to sharing his parents with him.

"Well then, what would you like to do on this marvelous Saturday, m'lady?" Blaine asked jauntily as he pretended to tip an invisible top hat.

Carol giggled but answered. "It may be silly, but I'd really like to stroll around Central Park; feed the birds with Burt. Ever since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to do that with the man I married." She smiled happily over at Burt who was finishing up in the kitchen and heading back to the guest room to get dressed for the day.

It was at that moment that Kurt came to the table carrying his own cup of coffee and smiled softly at Carol, obviously having heard her little story. "Well then let's make sure it comes true, okay?" His eyes were so warm that Blaine found himself swooning and Kurt wasn't even look at _him. _

Carol smiled happily up at Kurt and stood to place a kiss on his cheek. "Well, in that case, I should probably go get dressed."

With everyone else out of the room, Kurt turned to look at Blaine and scrunched his nose. "Blaine, what are you wearing?"

Blaine looked down at his ensemble in confusion before he remembered that he hadn't exactly gotten dressed for the day. His cheeks washed over with pink as he explained. "Oh, yeah, I took my shower and I was going to get dressed, but the food smelled so good so I just threw on a pair of old jeans and a t-shirt. Plus, I didn't think that your parents were going to invite me to join you again today."

Kurt snorted softly before motioning that Blaine was to follow him as he walked back to the master bedroom. "First off, I'm not even going to ask why you own jeans like that. I mean, I've heard of the fashionably destroyed look and I've heard of grunge, but these belong on a hippie who hasn't shaved in a good year or two-" Kurt looked at Blaine's jaw and noticed that he had shaved off his five o'clock shadow. He reached up a hand to gently feel the smooth skin across Blaine's jawline, completely unaware of what he was doing to the suddenly shivering man. "It's a shame; I'm going to miss the scruff." Kurt admitted only half kidding.

Blaine managed a smile that covered his shock. "Don't worry, it'll come back." He was surprised that Kurt was even acknowledging this morning. He remembered fuzzily waking up the first time and having Kurt comment on his lack of shaving only to provoke Blaine into rubbing said scruff across Kurt's nose and making the shy man giggle adorably. Then he remembers waking up the second time much more clearly. He remembered the way Kurt had stroked his face and smiled at him and that that was probably the best feeling in the world thus far. He had written it off as sleepy words that were just a product of a not fully awake Kurt. After all, he knew how adorable, snuggly and verbal sleepy Kurt could be. But he really hadn't expected a fully awake Kurt to bring up any sort of mention to their earlier morning activities and conversations. It made Blaine feel like Kurt didn't regret it; like he had _meant _it. It made Blaine feel special.

"Blaine? Blaine?" The man being called finally came back to reality as he realized Kurt was trying to talk to him.

"Oh, sorry, what?" He shook his head rapidly in an attempt to recalibrate it.

"I was…I was wondering if, well…i-if you would let m-me pick out your outfit for the day?" He looked timid as he asked, hope shining deep in his eyes even though they failed to make even contact with Blaine's.

"Oh. Sure, have at it." Blaine replied as he opened his closet doors and stood back to let Kurt survey what he had to work with.

Kurt's face lit up like it was already Christmas instead of a week before. He immediately starting pulling out garments that caught his eye, saying things like, "Ooo, this color would look divine on you!" or "I'll bet this fits impeccably!"

After laying out a couple outfit options on the bed, Kurt pulled Blaine over to look them over. "Alright, so obviously jeans are a must today, since it's the dead of winter." He pointed at the two pairs he had narrowed it down to-a black, almost skinny, jean, though not nearly as skinny as Kurt's and a pair of dark wash denim that were a slim cut. "Then I was thinking this beautiful maroon button down you had hiding in the back of your closet with this navy sweater I found." The sweater was actually more of a coat actually, but it had the appearance of being knitted. It had a thick lapel that came together at the bottom of his sternum were black wooden buttons took over and closed the bottom half of the sweater coat thing.

"I like it." Blaine replied honestly. "Can I wear the dark wash jeans?" he asked, since Kurt had given him the two options and not yet decided on the final pair. "They're more comfortable and we're going to be walking around a lot today."

Kurt nodded his head thoughtfully, "Sure, that will look good." He was still looking at the ensemble as if he was unsure about something.

"What's wrong?" Blaine asked.

"It's missing something…" Kurt's furrowed brow smoothed out in a second when he finally placed it. "Ooo, I've got just the thing! I'll go grab it while you change."

A few minutes later, as Blaine was buttoning the top few buttons on his button down, he heard a soft knock on his door.

"Come in." he called.

Kurt opened the door, one of his hands hidden behind his back. His eyes instantly zeroed in on the exposed skin of Blaine's collar bone where the buttons had yet to be fastened. He could feel a small blush beginning to rise up his cheeks, but he fought it back and was able to wait patiently until Blaine had secured the last button.

"What have you got there?" Blaine asked curiously, arching his eyebrow and letting his eyes dart to Kurt's hidden hand.

Instead of answering, Kurt stepped forward and wordlessly pulled his hand forward to reveal a black bowtie that had a beautiful metallic silver swirl pattern on it, dangling from his fingertips.

Blaine gasped at the sight of it. "Kurt, it's beautiful. Where did you get it?"

Kurt stepped right up to Blaine and began tying the bowtie around the slightly shorter man's neck. "I made it."

"You_ made _it?" Blaine asked, clearly impressed.

Kurt nodded while his eyes stayed on his work. "I made it for a Christmas party I went to years back. Only wore it once." His eyes flickered up to see Blaine staring down at it like someone had just given him a brand new puppy. "You can have it if you want."

Blaine's eyes got wide and instantly landed on Kurt. "What? Really?"

Kurt nodded, straightening the bowtie and finally meeting Blaine's eyes with his own. Blaine looked truly touched, and he was. Having Kurt dress him, tie his tie for him, let him wear his clothes; it all felt so domestic and cozy.

"Thanks, Kurt." He whispered. Taking a deep breath and advantage of how close Kurt was standing, he wrapped his arms gently around Kurt's waist and squeezed. _Friends hug, _Blaine reassured himself as he felt his mind get carried away with visions of Kurt tying his tie before he went to work, hugging him and kissing him goodbye with promises of seeing one another later that night for dinner.

Kurt giggled a little. "It's just a bowtie, Blaine."

"The best bowtie I've ever had!" He assured happily as he straightened it showily and offered his arm to Kurt. "Now, I _do_ believe we have company and it would be rude to keep them waiting much longer. Shall we?"

Kurt smiled radiantly as he accepted the offer and nodded resolutely. "We shall."

*~Line Break~*

Blaine didn't care how many times he went to Central Park; it never ceased to be beautiful. And even though it was a little chillier than he would have liked, it was still a pretty, sunny day that made it impossible to not smile.

It was also pretty hard not to smile when Kurt was wrapped around his arm and leaning ever so slightly into his body, almost like he wanted to rest his head on Blaine's shoulder as they strolled behind Burt and Carole who had their hands clasped together between them.

They had stopped to pick up Finn and Rachel on their way and were now strolling alongside them.

"So how's the garage doing?" Kurt asked Finn conversationally.

"It's good I guess…" he said a little tiredly, letting out a sigh at the end.

Kurt quirked a brow and stared at Finn, silently asking for an explanation for his answer.

Heaving another big sigh, Finn answered. "I'm just sorta tired of working there and _living _in Ohio and just…I don't know, I just want something different."

"And well…Finn and I talked and…" Rachel stepped in, glancing up at her fiancé with a small smile playing on her lips. "We want to get married."

Kurt froze in mid-step, consequently yanking Blaine to a stop as well. It was quiet for a minute until Kurt's shocked face split into a huge smile. "Oh, Rachel, congratulations!" He let go of Blaine to envelope his best friend in a hug that nearly crushed her tiny frame. He released her and took a step towards his brother, having to lean back a tad so he could make eye contact with the giant. "I better be your best man." He teased warningly. Finn's smile nearly outshone Kurt's as he administered the crushing hug this time around.

"You know it!" He exclaimed and Kurt could almost _see _him doing mental fist pumps.

"Do Dad and Carol know already?" Kurt thought to ask as he stepped back from the engaged couple and edged his way back towards Blaine.

Finn nodded. "Yeah. I sorta had to ask mom to help me pick out a ring."

Kurt's eyes got as big as moons as his piercing blue gaze swung around to stick on Rachel. "Wait! There's a _ring?" _His eyes darted down to Rachel's bare hand and back up to her big brown eyes. He reached out his long, slender arm in a silent command. "Show me." As if expecting her to dig it out of her pocket and place it in his waiting palm.

"I didn't get her a ring yet." Finn explained. "Mom and I looked and looked but we couldn't find anything that was just right, so she suggested that I propose and then take Rachel ring shopping here in New York."

Rachel's eyes suddenly flashed with a mischievous flicker as a little plan began to hatch in her mind. "We're going tomorrow actually." She pretended to think for a moment before having her "a-ha" moment and suddenly asking, "Would you two like to come along?"

Kurt and Blaine looked at Rachel for a minute with completely baffled looks bestowed upon their faces.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Rachel encouraged. "Plus, I could always use your know how on all things fabulous, Kurt." She hoped that playing to Kurt's talents would win him over.

"Well, that _is _true…" Kurt mused mostly to himself.

Rachel's eyes landed on Blaine next. "And then, for all the time in between, when Finn and I are off doing coupley things, you two can keep each other company."

Now Blaine also had a considering look on his face, seemingly thinking it over.

Rachel decided that she had just the thing to push them over the edge. _Time to pull out the big guns. _"We're going to Tiffany's" She sang in a lilting voice, happily.

Both of their heads snapped up and locked on Rachel immediately. "Okay!" They nearly shouted, almost perfectly in unison.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's?" Kurt asked Blaine curiously.

"Doesn't get much better than George Peppard shirtless." He affirmed.

Kurt raised his hand for a high five which Blaine happily obliged to. "Amen to that."

Rachel smiled happily at the two of them as they easily began discussing their favorite scenes of the movie. They had resumed their walk again, Rachel holding hands with Finn, Kurt tucked away into Blaine's side, and Burt and Carole several feet ahead of them still arm and arm and seemingly enjoying the peace of the day.

Rachel was trying awfully hard not to meddle in Kurt's love life, but it was _so hard _when the perfect man for her best friend was literally right there, hanging on every word that fell from Kurt's lips and smiling at him like he was a living, breathing angel. Not to mention the small fact that Blaine had admitted his love for Kurt directly to Rachel and Finn. _So, it's not _really _meddling, _Rachel reasoned with herself, _it's assisting. _Her hope was that this little trip to a place where happy couples declared their eternal love to one another would be enough to possibly awaken some courage within one of them to finally make a move. Perhaps deciding 'Hey, look at all these happy people. I want that!' and then either running away to Vegas, jumping one another's bones or, in a less dramatic and certainly the least exciting (although still pretty thrilling) option, maybe ask the other out on a real, honest to God, proper date.

Rachel wasn't going to get her hopes up, but it would be fun to see the boys blushing like mad every five seconds, regardless.

"Oh my God, Rachel." Finn all but whined as his stomach let out a miraculous growl. "Hotdogs." He said in a trancelike tone as his eyes all but hazed over upon the sight of a street vendor selling ginormous hotdogs absolutely spilling over with chili and cheese.

"Seriously, Finn?" Rachel patronized. "We just had breakfast, like, two hours ago!"

"I know, but…" Finn trailed off, staring longingly at the cart while his stomach let out another inhumanly loud grumble.

"_Fine." _Rachel sighed exasperatedly. "We'll catch up." She said towards Kurt and Blaine as she tugged her fiancé in the direction of the food he was currently lusting over.

Kurt and Blaine walked in silence while the other two were gone; each lost in their own trains of thought.

It hadn't really shocked Kurt that Rachel and Finn were going to get married; he had sort of just assumed it would happen at some point. But an engagement? That's definite. It's a promise that you share with the world that you will marry that other person. It's a big step.

His eyes flitted down to Carol's arm slipped into the crook of Burt's elbow lightly as they strolled through Central Park with nary a care.

"I want to be married someday." Kurt whispered without thinking.

Kurt's words yanked Blaine out of his thoughts of possible matrimony with the man currently next to him only to be thrust even deeper in.

He had to clear his throat twice before he trusted his voice enough to speak. "You will be." He assured him, adding _just tell me when, _silently in his head.

They walked, side by side, watching Burt and Carol ahead of them for a few minutes before Kurt quietly asked, "Do you really think so?"

Blaine twisted his torso enough so he could get a clear view of the pale beauty that was so wonderfully close at the moment. "Of course I do. You're a catch, Kurt." He reddened as his mind automatically filled in the _how. You're beautiful and sexy and adorable and precious and kind and compassionate and funny and smart and sassy and brilliant…_the adjectives kept rolling around in his head in an unheard mantra.

Kurt smiled bashfully at that and ducked his head to watch his own feet take step after step. "You too, Blaine." He admitted. Steeling himself away, Kurt lifted his head and turned to Blaine this time. "I hope you find someone special too, Blaine. You deserve it."

Blaine didn't have a response for that. Well, he _did, _but he couldn't necessarily tell Kurt that he already had and that it was him. He wasn't sure how that one would go over. So, Blaine just settled on pulling Kurt closer and savoring the warmth.

*~Line Break~*

"Finally!" Finn nearly cried as they rounded the busy street corner and onto the street that their lunch destination was located. "I'm starving!" He complained. He didn't even realize Kurt turning to Blaine and mouthing the words in perfect sync, indicating that this was a rather common occurrence in the Hummel-Hudson household.

Blaine giggled and playfully slapped one of Kurt's hands, that was resting on his bicep, in amusement. "You're horrible." He teased.

Kurt faked shock and let go of Blaine's arm in an instant, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his skinny jeans (…somehow…seriously, those jeans were tight!). "Oh, I see how it is Anderson. Well, I'll have you know, name calling is _not_ becoming of you."

"Aw, you know I'm just joking." Blaine assured, latching on to Kurt this time, mirroring the hold Kurt's always took on his arm. Kurt smiled down at him and continued to walk with Blaine close by his side.

That was until Finn asked, "Hey Kurt, does this place have burgers? I've been craving one really bad."

"Me too." Burt supplied, nodding his head in agreement.

Kurt disentangled himself from Blaine to take the few steps forward that were necessary to be walking next to Finn and slightly behind his father and began lecturing them on cholesterol and fat.

Blaine's attention was redirected when Carol and Rachel both appeared on his sides, flanking him as they continued down the crowded street.

"I've been meaning to say that I really like your outfit today, Blaine." Carol complimented.

"Thanks." He smiled warmly at her, feeling a sort of maternal love wash over him. "Kurt put it together for me." He couldn't keep a goofy smile from blossoming on his lips and the blush that followed as Carol smiled knowingly at him. _Am I really that obvious? _He wondered for what had to be the seven hundredth time.

"Hey, isn't that Kurt's bowtie?" Rachel suddenly asked as she reached out to stroke the slightly shiny bow at the base of Blaine's throat. Blaine nodded his head and bit his lip to keep in his giggle at the words that almost escaped his mouth. _Good God, why am I fan-girling so hard right now?_

"Oh just spit it out Blaine!" Rachel encouraged, only playfully flustered. "You look like you're going to explode."

Blaine took a deep breath and tried to keep an even voice when he reported, "He gave it to me."

"Awww, you're sharing clothes already!" Rachel cooed just to see Blaine's flush a deep red. "Oh, Carol, I forgot to tell you. Blaine's in love with Kurt."

Blaine nearly choked as the words were thrown out into the air so close to the very man they were about. His eyes frantically searched for Kurt just as they reached the restaurant, hoping that he hadn't heard.

"Oh, I know." Carol told Rachel with a giggle.

"Hey, guys," Blaine asked, not listening to Carol or Rachel anymore. His eyes scanned their group _again _and came up with the same result. "Where's Kurt?"

"Missing him already, lover boy?" Rachel teased, poking him in the side.

"No really, where's Kurt?" Blaine restated, his head beginning to crane around, trying to catch a glimpse of the lithe frame and coiffed chestnut hair somewhere in the crowd.

Everyone looked around, twisted their necks this way and that, trying to find him, but he never came into view.

"He's probably not far behind." Blaine said in reassurance, for the family and himself. "Why don't you guys get a table and I'll go find him." The rest of the group looked a little reluctant at first until Blaine added, "He probably just got distracted by a sale or something. I'll go drag him out before it's too late."

Burt laughed, accepting the theory as the most likely, and clapped him on the back. "Well, it was nice knowing you, kid."

Blaine tilted his head in question.

"You take Kurt out of a store before he's done and there will be hell to pay." Burt explained, grinning as Blaine paled some. "But have fun." He chuckled dryly and led everyone else inside, leaving Blaine on the sidewalk.

Blaine shook his head clear and turned around, working his way against the crowd in search of Kurt. He retraced their steps, passing stores that he knew the fashionista wouldn't be interested in. He knew it was probably silly and a fear completely unfounded, but Blaine was beginning to get worried. Sure, Kurt was a grown man who knew his way around New York and had a cell phone on him (even though it was on silent and Blaine knew calling or texting would be fruitless, seeing as he wouldn't hear it) but he knew that Kurt wasn't the kind of guy to ditch his family for a sale without at least telling someone. He also wasn't one to go wondering off.

Possibilities swirled through his mind endlessly as he quickened his pace and stopped apologizing for going against the crowd. He bumped into business men with important looks on their faces and women wearing power suits without so much of a care. What if he was mugged, or got turned around and ended up in a bad part of town? What if he was kidnapped by some stranger-or worse- Spencer? The thought of Kurt's ex brought such anger and fear into Blaine's soul that he felt his heart begin to beat faster and his footfalls becoming clumsier as he fought harder to make it through the undulating mass of people, his head swinging back and forth rapidly and his eyes peeled open wide.

He broke through the crowd into a little bubble of calmness, right in front of the store opening to a large departments store, running straight into someone. "Sorry," he mumbled disinterestedly until his eyes glanced up at the man and he finally felt his shoulders relax. "Kurt!" he nearly cried as he went to wrap his arms around the man's waist, even though the slender man was facing away from him. Right before he embraced Kurt, his formerly missing counterpart turned around and Blaine froze.

"Kurt…why do you have a child?" Blaine questioned, completely puzzled.

For Kurt was holding a little girl, probably around three, who had a vice like grip on his slender neck and her sniffling little nose hidden against his chest. Her short legs were wrapped around his torso best she could and Kurt was holding her securely to himself.

"I found her milling around outside of the store crying. She got separated from her parents inside and the crowd just sort of carried her out here. I couldn't just _leave _her." Kurt's eyes were wide and shining with hurt, almost like he was taking this little girl's pain into his own heart.

"No, of course not." Blaine agreed as he stepped closer to Kurt and gently rubbed the small girl's back in a soothing manner, trying to ease her shivers. "Well I guess we should go back into the store and see if we can get them to page her parents."

Kurt nodded and hoisted the girl higher up in his arms so he could see her unburied face. "It's going to be okay sweetheart, okay? We're going to find your parents for you." He smiled a blinding smile at her that could probably make a Buckingham Palace guard smile back. She peaked up at him a little shyly before smiling back and giggling a little bit.

Blaine whipped out his phone, sending a text to Finn that he had found Kurt and they would be there in a few minutes before he led the way to customer service so Kurt could concentrate on the little girl, whose name was Frieda, as she had whispered to Kurt like it was some sort of big secret. Blaine couldn't help it; his heart was practically melting. The vision of his sweet, beautiful Kurt with this darling little girl was just about to send him into either cardiac arrest or into a dentist chair with one killer cavity. The real kicker though, was the fact that this little girl had long curly hair that was very nearly black. Just like Blaine's. He couldn't stop himself from imagining Kurt holding their child someday, the girl being Blaine's biological child and their boy being Kurt's biological child. Kurt would be a fantastic father, he was just sure of it. He had all the characteristics that made up the loving, compassionate father that every kid should have.

Blaine zoned back in to explain the situation to the desk and had a page sent out over the store's intercom system. He then turned around just in time to see Frieda ask Kurt why he was so tall. Blaine giggled at that and waited for Kurt's reply, sort of curious as to what he was going to say. Kurt heard his laugh and turned to smile at him, clearly conveying, _isn't she the cutest thing ever?!_

_Well, she definitely ties with someone else I know…_Blaine thought.

"I wasn't always so tall." He explained to Frieda, who was clinging to him like a monkey. "But one day," he said in a slow, dramatic way, "I woke up and, BAM!" Frieda shrieked with giggles, "my feet were hanging off the edge of the bed and my legs were twice as long as the night before. To this day, no one knows why I shot up so quick and suddenly, but some say, you can still hear the jealously of short people everywhere." He then sent a poignant look directly at Blaine which had Frieda clapping along with her giggles.

"I will have you know, Frieda, that being short is _awesome." _She looked at Blaine with her undivided attention. "We can fit in small places, so we're really good at hide and seek. And we can make tall people like Kurt here do our work for us, like getting things off of the top shelves." Frieda's smile just got bigger and bigger. "And," Blaine said conspiratorially as he dropped his voice to a low stage whisper and leaned in towards Frieda, "we have a super-secret club that only short people can be in. Say-" He locked eyes with her as if an idea had just dawned on him, "would _you _like to join the club?"

"Can I?" She asked with wide, hopeful eyes.

"Absolutely!" Blaine rejoiced, doing a silly bow and straightening his bowtie. "Welcome to the club!" He said in a fake snooty British accent that had Frieda in near hysterics of glee.

"But wouldn't you like to be tall like me?" Kurt asked as he hoisted Frieda up onto his shoulders and held her steady.

It got very silent as Frieda's eyes widened in wonder and she craned her neck to see from her brand new vantage point. "Whoa." She deadpanned, making Kurt look at Blaine and giggle. Their eyes locked and there was such a deep understanding and love there that any passerby could have mistaken them for Frieda's parents; completely in love and fathering this child together as a team.

Their moment was broken by Frieda's little hands beginning to restyle Kurt's hair into a tousled look that was not remotely stylish.

"Oh, you think that's funny?" Kurt challenged playfully as he lifted the squirming girl off of his shoulders and cradled her like a newborn. The tickle fight of a century had just ensued when they heard a very relieved voice call out, "Oh thank God, Frieda!"

The brunette curly Q immediately shot up in Kurt's arm and squirmed to be set down. "Mom!" she called eagerly.

Two women ran up to the little trio and immediately scooped up the happy toddler, cooing sweetly in her ear.

"Thank you so much," the first women said, wiping a hasty finger underneath one of her eyes before drying it one her jeans and offering her hand to Kurt who graciously accepted. "I'm Cheryl and this is my wife Lynn."

"Thank you," Lynn jumped in, holding Frieda tightly to her chest. "We were shopping for clothes and one minute she was there and the next we couldn't find her." She buried her nose in the girl's tangle of dark curls and inhaled deeply.

"I hope she wasn't too much trouble," Cheryl asked worriedly.

"Are you kidding me?" Kurt assured them, "She's adorable."

"A real charmer." Blaine agreed.

"Cheryl, Lynn, these are my friends Kurt and Blaine!" Frieda introduced excitedly. "We're in a club." She whispered loudly to Lynn as she pointed to herself and Blaine.

Lynn and Cheryl quirked curious eyebrows at Blaine who just chuckled and explained. "It's for those of the…vertically challenged variety."

Kurt snorted. "Vertically challenged..." he teased under his breath.

"Hey, you just had to go and make being tall sound like so much fun! I had to come up with _something." _Blaine argued, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well it _is _fun being tall." Kurt said happily as he patted Blaine on the head to emphasize his point. Blaine softened under Kurt's touch and couldn't help the dopey smile he sent up to the tall man.

Cheryl cleared her throat to gain their attention as she and her wife both looked at the two men with amused smiles. "Do you two have kids of your own?" Lynn asked.

_That_ broke them out of their puppy love haze.

"What? Oh, no, no, no," Kurt stuttered.

"We're not…_together-" _Blaine assured them.

"Just friends-"

"Best friends." Blaine corrected.

"Best friends." Kurt smiled warmly at him, once again getting lost in the hazel depths of Blaine's eyes.

Lynn and Cheryl snickered some and just let a minute or two pass, curious to see if the two of them would snap out of it on their own or not.

The answer was obviously _not, _because it took an awkward cough to bring them back to the real world.

"Well, thank you again for taking care of Frieda; it means a lot to know that she was in such good hands." Cheryl offered them each a hug, followed by Lynn and then finally Frieda, who they had to literally pry off of Kurt.

"Alright," Kurt said, clapping his hands when the three girls had finally disappeared into the crowd. "So…lunch?"

Blaine laughed and took a step forward until he was directly in front of Kurt. Gingerly, praying to the God he didn't believe in, he ran his fingers through Kurt's hair to remedy what Frieda had done to his usually immaculate do.

Instead of losing a hand for touching Kurt's hair, the willowy man actually sighed and let his eyes flutter closed in content for a second or two, leaning into the touch.

"There we go." Blaine said after he was done…and had run his fingers through a few more times just to make sure it was all taken care of…and then a few more times because he could…and then just, like, four more times because it was _so soft…_

"You gave me quite a fright earlier." Blaine said softly, "So I'm going to need you to stay close, okay? I don't need you running off again."

"How's this?" Kurt asked quietly as he happily snuggled into Blaine's side.

Blaine tugged him just a little closer and then smiled, seemingly pleased. "Perfect." He approved.

Kurt smiled and allowed the slightly shorter man to lead him to the restaurant for a much deserved lunch.

*~Line Break~*

Later that evening, still reluctant to part ways, Blaine, Kurt, Burt and Carol had all gone over to Rachel's place with her and Finn where they were able to cook a lovely dinner and only be mildly disgusted by the sheer amount of food that Finn could fit into his body.

"Can we play something else besides Scrabble?" Finn asked desperately after their second game.

Board games were a family bonding staple at the Hudmel's house. So it only made sense that when they were all reunited for the first time in years, they would have at least _one _night dedicated to board games.

"You just don't like it because you always lose." Kurt complained since he was always in the lead. He was a _beast _at scrabble if he did say so himself.

"Ooo, I know what we can play!" Rachel chimed in, entering the living room with a few glasses of red wine balanced precariously along her arms while she grasped the last two in her hands. Blaine instantly hopped up to help her and distributed them to the rest of the guests. "The newlyweds game!"

Everyone looked at her dubiously. "Oh, come on, it'll be fun! Burt, you and Carol are married, Finn and I are engaged and Kurt and Blaine _will _be someday-"

Kurt promptly choked on his wine at that. "Excuse me?" He managed to rasp out when he had finally coughed up a lung.

While Carol didn't disagree, she didn't want to freak Kurt out. After all, she had _just _gotten him back after all of these years; she didn't want Berry scaring him off. "That may be a little awkward for them. We can find a different game."

"Oh, nu-uh, it's _on." _Kurt challenged, peaking over at Blaine and earning an encouraging smile from the curly headed man. "We're going to wipe the floor with you." He pointed directly at Rachel who was almost vibrating with the prospect of a competition.

Blaine chuckled. He had never seen this competitive side of Kurt before and it was, like everything this man did, adorable and sexy all at the same time. Today had seemed like a day of breaking down barriers and building up new ones; redefining boundaries and borderlines. Deciding to test this theory, Blaine, who was sitting next to Kurt on one side of the huge, squishy couch, slid one of his arms around Kurt's waist only to have the slim man tense for a moment, unsure of what the unfamiliar contact was, and then settle down back into the embrace, seemingly liking the warmth it provided. Burt, who was sitting next to Kurt with Carol on his other side, sent a little wink at Carol and looked pointedly at Blaine's hand which had taken to softly rubbing Kurt's side in small circles.

"Alright, first question," Rachel announced, unearthing a deck of cards with questions for the partners to answer for their other half. "Where are they from?"

Rachel and Finn both responded with, "Lima, Ohio." At the same time.

Carol answered, "Lima." For Burt.

Burt answered, "Lima." For Carol.

Blaine looked at Kurt with amusement as he repeated the sentiment of, "Lima," for Kurt.

And Kurt giggled when he answered, "Westerville, Ohio."

Blaine shook his head with a small smile, "Which one does not belong, hm?" he questioned good naturedly.

Kurt scoffed lightly and rested his head on Blaine's shoulder for a moment so he could whisper for only Blaine's ears. "Don't be silly; of course you belong here." He could have fallen asleep just like that, Blaine's arm around his waist, the smell of him wafting into his lungs with every breath he took, but the game was still going.

"That was way too easy," Burt said needlessly. "We need something harder."

"You're right," Rachel agreed. She picked a card from the harder stack and read, "What is their hidden talent?"

Rachel wrote down her answer while Finn looked around nervously, like the answer was just going to pop out and introduce its self.

"Okay, I'm ready." Rachel beamed.

"Um…" Finn stalled, looking around to see Burt and Carol looking at him curiously while Kurt was smirking at him and Blaine was looking at him with mock sympathy. "You can hit a…high…C?"

Rachel's jaw dropped open. "A high C? A high C!? Monkeys can hit a high C, Finn! And what do you mean _hidden?_" And that was just the beginning of her five minute long rant-and yes, Blaine _did _actually time it much to Kurt's amusement.

"Are you sure you want to keep playing?" Burt asked uneasily when Rachel finally took a breather and Finn was downing his third glass of wine since the tirade had begun.

"Oh, we will not forfeit." Rachel promised resolutely. "But, I want a new question."

A new card was selected with the question, "What is their favorite color?"

"Safe enough." Burt concluded. He waited until Carol had written her answer down before guessing correctly with blue.

Finn was successful this time with guessing pink. Seriously though, if he had missed that even while being in Rachel's entirely pink apartment, there might have been some relationship issues.

When it came to Kurt and Blaine, Blaine wrote down his answer which was immediately repeated by Kurt when he declared it to be purple.

The questions kept coming and the wine kept flowing as the game stretched out for much longer than usual.

The current question that had just been drawn was, "What is their biggest goal?"

Blaine turned to Kurt and said it more to him than addressing the rest of the group. "Kurt really wants to design clothing but I know he misses music and singing. So I think his _biggest _goal is to be on Broadway."

Kurt just stared at him for a few moments before settling his tired head down on Blaine's shoulder and flipping up his answer to reveal that Blaine was right…again…

"I'd love to see a real Broadway show sometime." Kurt said airily, as if it was meant just to be said inside his skull.

_That can be arranged, _Blaine thought playfully until he realized that it really _could _be arranged; working at a record label had its benefits. He made a mental note to call Wes later.

Nearly an hour later, the game wrapped up with Finn and Rachel winning by one point over Kurt and Blaine. Burt and Carol tailed a couple points after the boys, but that may have been due to the fact that they were practically asleep.

They bid each other a good night and promises of seeing one another the next day. Instead of walking home like they had planned, Blaine hailed a cab big enough for Carol and Burt to have the middle seats and he and Kurt to take the seats in the back. He told the cabbie his address and enjoyed the way Kurt, in his sleepy stupor, reached out for him and sighed in satisfaction when he wrapped his arms around Blaine's waist and rested his head on his shoulder.

They made it back to the apartment without any problem. Burt and Carol immediately bid them a good night and retreated to the guest room.

Once again, Blaine and Kurt stood in the living room only a little awkwardly.

"I'm going to get my pajamas on." Kurt finally said and turned away towards Blaine's room where he had stowed all of his things.

Blaine couldn't help the way his face fell. He had convinced himself that Kurt would at least give him a goodnight hug after how touchy-feely he had been all day. But it just went to show that you should never get your hopes up.

About twenty minutes later, Blaine heard a door squeak open lightly only to be followed by the object of his affection appearing in the mouth of the hallway and smiling softly at him. He approached the couch and sat down were he had the night before. He was clutching a small book in his hands and visibly shaking with nerves even in the soft moonlight.

"I thought I'd show you some of my goals." He said softly as he opened the book and flipped to the first page a little hurriedly, like he was trying to do it before his gusto disappeared.

Blaine's eyes were instantly filled with beautiful colors and flowing, fluid shapes that seemed to look like liquid draped over a pencil sketched mannequin. There were patterns that dizzied the mind in the most beautiful way and concepts that didn't even seem _possible, _but somehow he knew they were because they had come from Kurt.

Blaine silently leafed through the book, taking it all in. "Kurt," he began quietly, his eyes drifting up to land on the porcelain skinned dream. "These are beautiful." He had to literally bite his tongue to keep from saying that _he _was beautiful.

"Thank you," were the only words that Kurt could even think to mutter as he let himself collapse against Blaine's side, pushing the raven haired man down into the cushions of the couch. He settled himself snuggly into Blaine's side, loving how they seemed to fit together so well; almost like they were made to. Blaine's arms immediately wound around Kurt and held him in place firmly. He breathed deep to take in as much of Kurt's scent as he could; it was simply intoxicating.

When Kurt's breathing began to even out, Blaine brushed some hair off of his forehead and gently said, "Sweet dreams, sweetie." _I love you._

*~Line Break~*

The morning came earlier than Blaine had hoped. He opened his eyes drearily to see the very first sun rays of the day shining silvery and crisp in through the drawn blinds. Even though Blaine knew it was cold in the room, he felt very warm and comfortable. That was until his warmth began to slither away from him.

"No, come back." Blaine whined like an immature kid as he hurriedly pulled the blanket back over himself and closed his eyes, prepared to resume his slumber.

The blanket laughed sleepily, breath hitting Blaine's face and making him dizzy. Blaine reopened his eyes a crack to see that the blanket was indeed Kurt, who was staring down at him with a sleep saturated smile.

"Ooo, it's back!" Kurt happily whispered as he petted the new scruff that covered Blaine's unshaven jaw.

Blaine smiled underneath his touch. "I never thought you'd be into scruff."

"I'm not." Kurt clarified. "But you wear it well."

After a few blissful minutes, Kurt slid out of Blaine's grasp much to the shorter man's displeasure. "Kuuurrrttt!" He whined until Kurt gave him a look that clearly asked, _Really Blaine, really?_

"Come on!" Kurt suddenly proposed excitedly as he began to tug on Blaine's hand. "Help me make breakfast for Dad and Carol!"

Blaine stood reluctantly as he followed an exuberant Kurt over to the kitchen area. "I feel like I should warn you, I'm fairly lost in the kitchen. I mean, I can boil water and make some pretty decent toast…sometimes, but I don't know if I should be helping you."

"Don't worry," Kurt said whilst opening the fridge experimentally to survey their supplies. "We'll pick something easy. And if you run into trouble, I'll be right here."

Blaine smiled at that and nodded. He stepped up to stand next to Kurt and look into his mismatched assortment of food.

"Oh, wait!" Blaine suddenly remembered, "I have oatmeal." He pulled out a large container of instant oatmeal from a cupboard by the stove.

"And I see some fruit back here that looks fairly edible," Kurt giggled as he snagged a few apples, bananas and a bunch of grapes.

"Oh hush, I bought those a few days ago; I promise, they won't kill any of us."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Kurt teased as he rummaged around and found a pot big enough for the amount of oatmeal they'd have to make.

"Alright, now," Kurt said, clapping his hands softly and turning his head from the stove to the cutting board a few times. "Should I let you play with fire or knives?"

"Okay, just because I can't cook that well doesn't mean that I can't set foot into a kitchen without harming myself." Blaine defended.

Kurt raised a skeptical brow.

"Okay fine," Blaine sighed in exasperation, finally breaking under Kurt's scrutiny, "there was that _one _time I almost…sort of…got my head caught in the oven…"

Kurt's face turned an incredible shade of absolute white as he stared, wide eyed and mouth agape at Blaine's admission.

"It wasn't my fault, I swear!" Blaine hurried to add, "I was cooking with Wes and well…let's just say _that _will never happen again." _Oh, yeah, I need to give him a call…_Blaine remembered.

Kurt couldn't hold it in anymore, a stifled laugh barked out through his lips as he tried desperately to stay quiet. His eyes began to water with tears of joy as his whole body shook with suppressed giggles.

"Wow, Kurt, I almost lose my head and you're _laughing?" _Blaine said with a façade of anger, "What a great friend you are. What if I had burned my head to a crisp?" He challenged around chuckles of his own.

"Or worse, your curls!" Kurt cried in a fake British accent.

Blaine swore, at that moment his heart absolutely stopped, completely on edge. _Was Kurt making a _Harry Potter_ reference? _Hoping against all hope, he replied in his best British accent, "She _needs _to sort out her priorities." Only to have Kurt join in half way through, excitedly finishing the line with him.

No. Way. _He really _is _too good to be true…_

Blaine stood staring at Kurt with what had to be the absolute pinnacle of head over heels in love heart eyes. It was like that moment in the movies when the underdog nerd finds out that the super attractive and popular cheerleader which he's been in love with for all four years of high school is into the same comic books he is.

Kurt broke their gaze to check over his shoulder only to find the water boiling away. He turned back to Blaine for a moment, declaring, "We will address this later." In a mock serious tone as he playfully winked at Blaine before turning his back to him to start the oatmeal. Fucking _winked! _Blaine's heart felt all sorts of strange and he had to remind himself that he needed to watch the knife he was working with because, seriously, cutting off a thumb is _such _a mood breaker.

They worked in companionable silence as Blaine finished cutting all of the fruit and Kurt got the oatmeal to a light simmer, letting it cook slowly to keep it from getting too dry.

"I think I'll go ahead and make some eggs while I'm at it," Kurt stated, already grabbing the half full carton out of the fridge.

"Alright, well while you enjoy flaunting your cooking skills, I'm going to go take a quick shower. Is that okay?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and looked over his shoulder to tell Blaine, "This is _your _house, remember? You can take a shower if you want to."

_But it could be _our _house if you wanted, _Blaine thought before he could stop it. It was just that the smell of tasty food in the air and the fact that a beautiful man who could cook and _liked Harry Potter, _was currently standing at his stove and, damn, if it didn't make Blaine want the domesticity that this entire situation was absolutely drenched in. Just the idea of waking up in Kurt's arms every morning was enough to make him a little weak in the knees. However, even though they had become much friendlier over the course of just this weekend alone-making leaps in bounds really-and were becoming downright affectionate towards each other, one simple fact still stood true: They were not together. They were not a couple. There were still so many words left unsaid between them. As far as Blaine could accurately describe this weekend, he saw it as Kurt breaking out of his shell and exhibiting his trust towards Blaine. It was beautiful and confusing and a little scary, but Blaine knew that it was completely worth it.

On the outside, Blaine just laughed and rolled his own eyes right back at Kurt, even though the tall man had turned back towards the stove once again. "Have a good shower." Kurt called lightly as Blaine walked back to the hallway towards his room and master bath.

Blaine smiled at the small indention on his pillow were Kurt's head had only rested briefly during his stay so far.

He quickly gathered a warm sweater that was soft to the touch and in a wonderful dusty gray color and another pair of dark wash denim jeans that wouldn't make Kurt cringe. He stepped into the bathroom and immediately turned the shower on, letting the water warm up to the extremely hot temperature that Blaine preferred in the winter months. While steam began to form clouds in the air, Blaine took advantage of the noise of the shower to block the sound of a phone call he needed to make. He whipped out his cell phone and quickly dialed Wes' number, having to wait a few rings until a groggy Wes finally answered.

" 'Lo?" he asked, sleepily, probably just having woken up.

"Hey Wes, it's Blaine-"

"I have caller I.D. dumb ass. Why are you calling me at…7:32 in the morning on a Sunday?"

Blaine smirked, knowing just how irritable Wes could get before his morning coffee. "Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep, but I need to ask you a favor."

"You wake me up, mock me, and then want me to do _you _a favor?!" Wes asked incredulously, "Are you stupid? Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm about to admit that you were right." Blaine said with a big enough smile to be heard in his tone.

It was silent for a beat before Wes cautiously inquired, "Right about what?"

"I like Kurt." He stated simply and let the feeling of admittance wash through him like a refreshing wave.

"Ha-HA! I _knew _it! Welcome to the land of 'I told you so'!" He suddenly sounded much happier.

"Thank you," Blaine replied sarcastically. "Now, the reason I told you this was because I need to see if you can get me six tickets to a Broadway show for tonight so I can take Kurt and his family whose last night in town is tonight." Why this may have sounded like a ridiculous request, the company was always offering its employees free tickets to Broadway shows; one of the perks of being in the 'biz'.

"Ummm…" Wes thought aloud, letting out a yawn and finally continuing with, "probably. I'll see what I can do. Any particular show?"

"The Newsies would be awesome. And thanks Wes. You're the best." And Blaine meant it; he really had some amazing friends.

"Yeah, well, get with Kurt and we'll call it even, okay?" Wes teased, sounding like he was more than ready to sink back into his pillows and snore for a few more hours.

"Sure thing Wes; I'll work on it." And with that, Blaine hung up after Wes promised to text him the details.

Blaine took a quick shower, eager to rejoin Kurt back in the kitchen. He let the steaming water wash over him and relax every last muscle in his body. He toweled himself off quickly and donned his clothes before carefully drying his hair so it wouldn't frizz.

Blaine walked back to the kitchen area, where Kurt was still positioned in front of the stove, cooking away. He approached slowly and quietly from behind, watching as Kurt let out an adorable yawn. As he got closer though, he saw that Kurt was shivering almost imperceptibly, but definitely enough to indicate how cold he was. His hand was also edging dangerously close to the flame of the gas stove once again, just like when Blaine had come over to Rachel's for lunch the first time.

Gently, so as not to startle the tall beauty with bedhead, Blaine slipped one arm snuggly around Kurt's still too small waist while his other hand went to pluck Kurt's hand away from the flame.

"Is this a thing for you? Every time you cook, you nearly singe your fingers and fall asleep." Blaine teased, still holding Kurt's fingers in his own and letting his nose brush along those broad yet frail shoulders of Kurt's.

Kurt giggled and let himself lean back into Blaine's embrace infinitesimally but remained silent otherwise.

It finally registered to Blaine just how _frigid _Kurt's hand was and how much he was shivering as the man let out yet another yawn.

"Kurt, are you feeling okay?" He asked worriedly. He pulled Kurt tighter against him, holding him more securely.

"I'm o-okay," Kurt tried to assured in his quivering voice, "I'm just really c-cold. I g-get cold really e-easily."

"Oh, sweetie," Blaine soothed, pulling Kurt even snugger against him, hoping to impart some body heat unto him. "Well, putting your hand on the stove isn't the answer."

Just as Blaine had intended, that earned a giggle from Kurt who decided to flip around in Blaine's arms until he was facing the shorter man. His giggle morphed into a yawn though as he wrapped his impossibly long arms around Blaine's neck, lacing his fingers together in the back.

"Are you tired, sweetie?" Blaine asked soothingly, his fingers making little mini patterns on a small patch of Kurt's mid-back.

Kurt nodded lethargically and all together a little too adorably for Blaine to handle. So it really wasn't his fault when he couldn't refrain from letting his hands drift down to Kurt's sides and begin to tickle him; it really wasn't his fault at all.

Kurt snorted a sudden laugh and began to squirm in glee as Blaine just held him close and assaulted his sides and waist with wiggling fingers. Kurt's laugh was positively infectious as Blaine began laughing along with him.

"Are you awake _now?_" Blaine asked needlessly through is chuckles.

Kurt's shining eyes fixed on him as he stubbornly protested, "Never!" His heroic declaration was only muddled by the litany of giggles flooding out of his mouth.

"Looks like _we're_ having fun." Burt teased as he and Carol shuffled into the kitchen with knowing looks on their faces.

The boys sprung apart like two high school kids caught making out on the couch. Their faces immediately became red and flashes of the previous morning raced through their minds.

"W-we made breakfast!" Kurt blurted out, gesturing to the food that was all set up and ready to be served.

"Aw, thank you Kurt." Carol cooed, moving over to the tall man and kissing his cheek. She then turned to a very unsuspecting Blaine and kissed him on the forehead. "Thank you, Blaine."

Blaine's eyes became wide with a childlike wonder. His parents were never affectionate, not even to one another. This sort of motherly contact was a brand new world to Blaine that, he had to admit, he was rather liking so far. "Y-you're welcome." He stuttered.

"Looks good." Burt complimented as he slowly began filling his plate, stopping only to clap Blaine on the shoulder and ruffle Kurt's hair, causing him to bat at his dad's hands and playfully whine, "Daaaad!"

"What?" Burt pretended to be confused, "You let Blaine do it."

Kurt didn't even miss a beat when he casually responded with, "Well, that's because he's Blaine. Plus, he doesn't_ ruffle_ my hair, he _straightens _it."

"Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that, kiddo." Burt teased as he made his way over to the table.

Meanwhile, Blaine's mind was stuck on the phrase, _Well, that's because he's Blaine. _Wow, he really liked the sound of that. The idea that Kurt rewarded him special privileges just for being himself sounded a little too good to be true, but, hey, who was he to argue?

Breakfast was delicious. Everyone assured Blaine that he had a real knack for cutting fruit, which made him roll his eyes and laugh along. With all four of them cleaning up, it only took about ten minutes tops and then Kurt was off to get showered and dress so that he and Blaine could go meet Finn and Rachel at Tiffany's at around noon.

One shower, extensive moisturizing routine, and painstakingly chosen outfit later, Kurt was ready to hit the road. "Bye Dad, bye Carol!" Kurt called. The two of them had decided to finish some last minute Christmas shopping for those relatives that everyone always forgets they have.

"Kurt and I are going ring shopping!" Blaine added before listening to the words in his head first. "With Finn and Rachel!" he quickly added, blushing a bright red. "Cause Kurt and I aren't, like, _engaged _or anything. We-"

Kurt clapped a hand over his mouth and chuckled hopelessly at him. "Oh, shut up, Blaine, they get it." He ribbed as he tugged Blaine by the arm out of the front door and soon enough, down to the sidewalk. "Come on; Tiffany's is waiting!"

*~Line Break~*

"Ooo, Finn, what about a _pink_ diamond?!" Rachel all but screeched as she yanked Finn from display case to display case. Poor Finn looked absolutely dizzy by all of the choices. Color, cut and clarity made absolutely no sense to him whatsoever. It would have been sort of endearing if it weren't for Rachel's unrealistic expectations that Finn would be some sort of wizard and find her the perfect ring.

Blaine and Kurt had been tailing them around the store, highly amused. Kurt was keeping his eyes peeled, trying to find something that might satisfy Ms. Rachel Berry.

"Hey, Rachel!" Kurt called in his soft, lilting voice, "Take a look at these ones."

Rachel came bounding over, Finn attached to her hand. Her eyes widened as she took in the square cut pink diamond with a smaller white diamond on each side. "Oh, Kurt, it's beautiful!" She immediately began looking for a sales assistant to aid her.

Instead of watching Rachel cram hundreds of infinitesimally different rings onto her left ring finger, Blaine nudged Kurt and the two slowly began meandering away. They silently let their eyes graze over and through the cases, taking in the incredible scene that was Tiffany's jewelers.

"Have you ever thought of your dream wedding?" Kurt asked quietly as they worked their way over to the men's jewelry.

Blaine had to blink himself back into reality as he lifted his head away from the shiny distractions and glanced at Kurt. "Sure I have. I can't really decide what I want though. I mean, I know that I would like for me and my groom to both wear black tuxes- you know, keep it simple."

"Always a classic." Kurt agreed quickly. "Let me guess, bowtie for you, necktie for your groom?"

Blaine smiled a little sheepishly before nodding adorably. "I also have a playlist on my iPod dedicated to first dance songs and other reception worthy songs. " Blaine admitted bashfully.

Kurt giggled and nodded his head in approval. "I'd love to hear it sometime."

Blaine smiled happily to himself. "Okay." He replied simply.

When they finally made it over to the men's section, they slowed down some, separating and walking with their heads down, surveying the incredible number of options they had for male jewelry, especially engagement rings.

When Blaine had finally made a full trip around the rather large section, he found Kurt still near the beginning, only seeming to have made it a few display cases in before coming to a complete stop. Curiously, Blaine sidled up to Kurt and peeked over his shoulder. He followed his line of sight to find the exact ring that had caught Kurt's beautiful blue eye.

It was silver with a thick band that, upon closer inspection, revealed itself to be comprised of several incredibly thin bands. The texture was not unlike the worn bark of a tree with ripples through out it. The diamond was a classic, yet stunning, white diamond that was cut as a thin rectangle that touched the top of the band and extended to line up perfectly with the bottom of the band.

Blaine's eyes swam back up to gaze at Kurt and the beauty of this creature nearly brought Blaine to his knees. Kurt's eyes shone with such affection and want and sadness that Blaine was tempted to just buy the ring now and save it for when they got married. _Granted he should be so lucky. _

"You should try it on." Blaine suggested quietly, eyes still glued to Kurt's elegant profile.

Kurt send a hand up to check for tears and seemed relieved to find that none had been shed. "Oh, no, no, that's okay. I shouldn't be putting ideas like that in my head."

"What do you mean?" Blaine wondered aloud.

Kurt took a deep breath and brought his eyes up to Blaine's before continuing. "The c-chances of _me _ever getting married are…w-well they're not v-very good." Kurt explained as if it wasn't even debatable.

"And why not?" Blaine challenged.

Kurt gestured at himself in exasperation. He let out a slightly aggravated sigh but Blaine knew it wasn't directed at him, it was worse, Kurt had directed it to himself. Kurt's swirling stare slid back down to the ring. "I've got nothing to offer. I'm not terribly smart or funny or attractive. If anyone chose me, they would be settling."

Blaine stared at Kurt for a few minutes, trying to understand these completely ridiculous claims he was making.

"Would you like to try something on?" a soft welcoming voice asked. Blaine's eyes flicked up to see a smiling sales associate with an open expression on her pleasant face.

A look of determination sealed itself over Blaine's features as he nodded and pointed to the ring Kurt had been eyeing. Kurt, whose eyes were still glued to the ring, realized in panic when it was being removed from the case. For a moment, his mind went in to a panic mode, afraid that he was going to have to watch his dream ring walk right out from underneath his nose. Instead, he saw the ring drop right into the waiting palm of one Blaine Anderson.

"Do you not remember the conversation we had in the park yesterday, Kurt?" Blaine asked with a quirk of the eyebrow.

Kurt nodded his head, affirming that he did indeed remember it by saying, "You said I was a catch."

Blaine nodded, "Mm-hm, and being a catch includes intelligence, humor and beauty." Blaine ached to reach out and stroke Kurt's cheekbone as he added, "You have all three."

_So do you, _Kurt thought as he returned Blaine's gaze unflinchingly. After testing the words out in his mind, Kurt gathered up his courage to repeat them out loud.

Blaine smiled softly at this and blushed that freaking perfect little blush of his.

Wordlessly, Blaine picked up Kurt's left hand and extended all of the fingers out of the loose fist they were curled into. He held the ring in the hand that wasn't holding Kurt's wrist and carefully, _slowly, _slid the ring onto Kurt's left ring finger with trembling fingers and a soft smile on his face.

Kurt's eyes immediately glanced down at the ring on his hand. It seemed so…odd to have it there. However, watching Blaine put it in place was something he was sure he would never forget. This whole experience, this whole friendship, was just too much sometimes. It was like Kurt was getting to live the fairytale he had always entertained as a kid growing up in Ohio. The way Blaine was looking at him was nothing short of...well, _loving. _Kurt could hardly get the words to pass through his own mind, but it was difficult to deny. What if it was finally his turn for some good luck?

Their eyes locked as Blaine kept ahold of Kurt's wrist, no longer steadying it, but relishing in the fact that he could hold Kurt's hand without the pale beauty flinching away or retracting emotionally. He _saw _the way Kurt's eyes were shining, and not with tears-with emotion. If Blaine wasn't careful, he was going to start believing that Kurt just might love him back and he didn't want to set himself up for failure. Because, at the end of the day, they were friends and nothing more, and Blaine had to remind himself that. They were best friends who obviously cared very deeply for one another and cuddled and trusted strongly in one another; that was all.

_But, damn we'd be good together, _Blaine's mind immediately added.

Kurt, very similarly, thought, _We make the perfect team._

Blaine had to actively remind himself to stay in control of his actions because every _fucking_ fiber of his being wanted to use his hold on Kurt's hand and pull him closer, kiss him, declare his love, make this a proposal, or maybe just tug his hand as they ran away together. He wanted it _so _bad that his heart began to beat faster and his breathing became shallower. _I love you so much, Kurt. _Ahhh, _I wish I could tell you; I wish you could hear me! _

Kurt suddenly felt hot, like all the chill in the winter air had evaporated like a puddle in the middle of July. He felt so hot, but he still wanted to bury himself in Blaine; to wrap his arms around every inch of that wonderful, wonderful man and bury his face completely into his neck and just _breathe. _To feel like he could finally feel the surface of the water that had been drowning him for so long now. Like he was finally breaking through. He wanted _so _much, _so _badly.

Their eyes never released, they just held one another up. They cemented them in their spots and kept their knees from buckling under the weight of the situation. I mean, Blaine had just placed an _engagement ring _on Kurt's hand. It was a lot to take in.

"Is this the one?" The completely forgotten sales associate asked softly.

Blaine nodded almost imperceptibly; more like a twitch of the head. He didn't dare let Kurt's eyes go. "Yes," he whispered, "he is."

And so perhaps that wasn't _the _moment, but it was certainly _a _moment. For when they had removed the ring and left the store with a very happy Rachel and Finn, their hands found one another and intertwined desperately, seemingly both screaming _please don't ever let go. _

And so perhaps Kurt had convinced himself that he had misheard what Blaine said. But when he replayed the moment in his head (which he was doing often) all he would hear was Blaine's declaration that he, _he, _Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, was the man he wanted to marry.

And so perhaps those words were still left unsaid. But Blaine felt them rising. He felt his heart absolutely bursting in Kurt's consistently close proximity, wanting nothing more than to be even closer. Blaine felt like a powder keg with a lit fuse. Any second now, he would explode and the truth would come out and he would lay it all on the line for everyone to see. One day, probably sooner than later. And Blaine couldn't decide if he was scared or just madly in love.

*~Line Break~*

After a lazy lunch at Blaine's place, with the entire Hudmel crew plus Rachel, Blaine finally received a text from Wes declaring that six tickets to Newsies were waiting at the box office for them; show starting at seven.

"So guys," the curly headed man began with a ridiculous smile on his face that was growing by the second, "I have a little surprise for all of you."

Everyone, who were all lounging in Blaine's living room and sipping coffee, looked up curiously.

"See, Lightning Records is always offering its employees free tickets to show business things. You know, like concerts, fashion shows…Broadway musicals…" he hinted strongly, taking in the sudden shift in every one's expressions as understanding sunk in.

"No. Way." Kurt breathed, eyes wide and astounded.

Blaine nodded with the exuberance of a puppy. "Newsies at seven. That gives you..." he glanced at his wristwatch, "four hou-oof!" Blaine was cut off by Kurt's flying body very nearly slamming into him as he wrapped his incredibly long arms around the shorter man, causing him to stumble back a few steps.

"Oh my God, I can't believe you're doing this." Kurt rushed out in a whisper that landed directly in Blaine's ear as he squeezed him tight. "This is…t-this is…_you _are…_incredible!" _He whispered fervently, still clinging to a very welcoming Blaine tightly.

"Only for you." He dared to flirt.

Kurt smiled at this and then seemed to realize that his entire family was still in the room and currently getting some great chuckles out of this display. He peeled himself off of Blaine, albeit, pretty reluctantly.

"Wait!" A thought suddenly dawned on Kurt, "I only have four hours to get ready?!" And with that he was half way down the hallway and locking himself in Blaine's room.

"Blaine," Rachel piped up happily, "thank you so much for treating us to this!" She bounded up out of her seat and Finn's arms and gave him a healthy squeeze, only to be followed immediately by Carol who planted a kiss on a very bashful Blaine's forehead. Even Burt thanked him sincerely.

Blaine took all of the compliments and praise in stride before escaping to the kitchen area to pour himself another cup of coffee. Feeling a presence beside him, he turned his head to find Burt standing next to him and holding out an empty coffee cup as a suggestion. Blaine gratefully filled it and smiled a little sheepishly at Kurt's father.

"You're a good man, Blaine." Burt said quietly so the others wouldn't hear. Even though it wasn't likely, seeing as how the women were chatting animatedly about what to wear and Finn looked blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

But Blaine heard. His head snapped up and he gazed at Burt like he had just told him that he had the map to Narnia. "I, uh, I…t-thank you." He managed to stutter out.

"Now," Burt began, still speaking a tad hushed and staring down at the caffeinated elixir in his ceramic mug, "I'm going to be straight with you, no games, no beating around the bush, no tricks-just honesty. Okay?" He waited until Blaine nodded before nodding his own confirmation and asking, "Do you love my son?"

Blaine felt his facial expression spasm some as he blushed instantly and bit his lip with evident nerves. "Yes." He said simply, amazed at how even his tone stayed.

Burt nodded, obviously not surprised by his answer. "Treat him well." He asked seriously. It was so heartfelt that Blaine once again wished that every kid, including himself, had a father like Burt. "Man to man, treat my son with the respect he deserves. He's been through hell and back and I...you make him smile." He found Blaine's eyes. "Don't stop doing that."

Blaine nodded resolutely, eyes still a little wide with shock. He wasn't sure if he could trust his voice not to crack embarrassingly so he just held solid eye contact until Burt nodded his head, seemingly finding all he needed to know in Blaine's open gaze.

*~Line Break~*

It was flat out _cold _as they arrived at the theater. They had taken a cab most of the way, but as they grew closer and closer, Kurt's never ending bouncing prompted them to walk the last few blocks to the theater so they could work off some of Kurt's energy.

"I'm going to go grab out tickets," Blaine told everyone as he gave Kurt's hand one final squeeze and released it to jog on over to the box office.

Blaine was only gone for _maybe _two minutes-the line wasn't long and they easily found his tickets in the very front since they were under Anderson- when he found the family standing near the doors and the absolute _bastard _of an usher openly checking Kurt out. Blaine didn't know anything about this man except that he was a filthy bastard who deserved to be back handed swiftly across the face. Of _this, _Blaine was certain. He felt anger and jealousy build up in him at an alarming rate and filling every cell in his body. He swiftly strode over to the family and right up to Kurt, eagerly reclaiming his hand and tangling their fingers together. Poor Kurt didn't even notice the usher and just smiled down at Blaine fondly.

"Here you go," Blaine said through tight lips as he distributed the tickets to each person. They filed through the door with Blaine and Kurt going through, still side by side, last.

"Hey there," the bastard of an usher greeted Kurt. He glanced down at the ticket and looked back up with a smirk, that most likely was supposed to be seductive or alluring, slapped on his face. "These are pretty good seats. Would you like me to show you where you sit?" he asked even though Blaine knew for a fact that showing people to their seats was _not _part of his job description. _They have ushers _inside _for that, _Blaine mentally scoffed.

"No. We're fine." Blaine answered for Kurt, making the bastard realize his existence for the first time. The usher's eyes flickered down to see their hands still locked together and flushed a shade or two paler. He wordlessly ripped their tickets and hurriedly wished them a goodnight, avoiding eye contact with Kurt because he didn't want Blaine's murderous gaze directed on him.

"Come on sweetie, let's go," Blaine said proudly as Kurt blushed at the pet name and leaned into his side.

_You're adorable, _Blaine instinctually thought as he tugged Kurt closer.

They ended up sitting next to one another at the insistence of Carol, who sent a conspicuous wink at a slightly embarrassed Blaine.

When the lights went out, Blaine shot a quick glance at Kurt to see the man sitting ramrod straight in his seat with hands gripping the armrests on either side of him. Excitement practically rolled off of him in waves by this point.

The musical was fantastic and the dancing was stunning, but Blaine didn't really pay too much attention to the Tony award winning production; he was too busy glancing at Kurt who had the biggest, most sincere look of amazement on his face. For the first time, Blaine was seeing Kurt in his element; surrounded by music and acting and dancing. It was enthralling. One thing was for sure: Kurt was even _more _beautiful with this look of happiness on his face.

When the musical ended, with a standing ovation thank you very much, Kurt and Rachel were off, talking a mile a minute.

"Oh my God, I'll have _The King of New York _stuck in my head for _days_!" Rachel giggled, currently robbing Blaine of his spot on Kurt's arm.

"Like that a bad thing?!" Kurt joked as the two dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Rachel teased, as they exited the theater and out onto the sidewalk. "Singing, dancing…" She looked dramatically at Kurt and they both whipped their heads forward at the same time, saying in unison, "DRAMA!" and then struck a pose. They had the whole family laughing at their antics.

Blaine loved it when Kurt became silly like this. Usually, you had to deprive him of sleep, but, more and more often it seemed that Kurt was breaking down that reserved shell he had kept himself hidden behind. Blaine thought it was charming as hell.

"Oh Glee club…" Rachel sighed fondly before throwing herself at Kurt. She put a hand in his and the other on his shoulder as he instantly squeezed her hand and his other one found her little waist. They began a schmaltzy waltz that was goofy and over exaggerated yet still impressive. It looked effortless and smooth, transfixing Blaine in his spot. Then, out of nowhere, Kurt had hoisted Rachel up, even to her surprise apparently as she let out a delighted shriek. He spun her around in a beautiful lift like he did it every day and then set her down on her own two feet once again. Performing a silly bow, he laughed and waved off his families hoots and hollers and slowly found his way back to Blaine who was still in awe.

"I didn't know you could dance like that." He said in an awed voice as he let Kurt hug his arm close and rest his chin on his shoulder, even if it was slightly awkward on account of the height difference, Kurt didn't seem to mind as he bend down some.

Kurt sighed, completely relaxed. "I don't really dance much anymore, but I was a fast learner back in high school." He explained.

"You're really good; I'm impressed and slightly jealous that I haven't been able to dance with you yet." He poked Kurt in the side to elicit a small giggle from the slender man.

"Maybe someday…" Kurt hedged.

_ Someday just might come sooner than you think, _Blaine decided.

*~Line Break~*

Finn and Rachel caught a cab back to her place while the rest of the group dragged themselves back to Blaine's. For such a lazy day, everyone was pretty exhausted. Even Kurt had become to come down from his musical high and was settling into an intense state of relaxation.

Burt and Carol decided to hit the hay and called it a night. This time, though, as Blaine and Kurt found themselves in the living room alone, there wasn't any hint of awkwardness, only comfortability.

They didn't even try to pretend that they were going to sleep apart. After all, Kurt's parents went home tomorrow evening and Blaine went back to work in the morning and the world would start spinning again. Everything would go back to normal which, unfortunately, meant that they wouldn't be staying together anymore and that meant empty beds.

Kurt sat down on the couch, legs crossed and waiting for Blaine to come back from putting his pajamas on so he could do the same. He picked a loose thread on his sock as he mentally went over the entire weekend.

If Kurt had to define perfection, he was pretty sure that he would describe this weekend detail for detail. His dad still loved him and hearing the nickname 'kiddo' uttered in Burt's gruff voice was a special form of heaven. Carol was still sweet as ever and Finn, that lovable lug, made him feel loved and valuable. And then there was Blaine. Sweet, beautiful, heartfelt Blaine, who knew the perfect things to say and held him close…

Kurt didn't even notice that Blaine had reentered the room or that he had only left under the guise of changing into pajamas (which he had not) so he could grab his iPod. He set it to his first dance songs playlist and watched as Kurt's head jerked up upon hearing music out of nowhere.

Kurt's glasz eyes found Blaine and looked at his inquisitively. Blaine just smiled at the gorgeous man seated on his couch and slowly made his way over to him.

"May I have this dance?"

Kurt wasn't sure what to do. I mean, it sounded lovely, but this was _Blaine. _It was dark in the room, he was playing possible wedding songs, and he wanted to hold him while they danced; that could be dangerous grounds. Kurt wasn't sure exactly what their relationship was, but he wasn't unhappy with it. He liked the closeness and the trust, but the urge to kiss Blaine grew stronger every _single _day and Kurt was afraid he wouldn't be able to hold it in much longer. The tension was killing him.

"O-oh, I-I don't know…" Kurt tried, suddenly nervous. He ducked his head to hide his ever growing blush.

Blaine flat out pouted at that. He pulled back his extended hand and complained, "You can't expect me to see you dance with Rachel and _not _get a little jealous. Isn't it _my _turn now?"

"Well, I m-mean-"

"It's just one dance," Blaine pouted in a sing song voice, encouraging Kurt. "And I promise I won't make you lift me." He smiled as that pulled a small shadow of a smile on the lithe man's lips. "So…may I have this dance?"

Kurt's resolve broke. _Damn him and his adorable puppy dog eyes… _"Alright." He laid his hand in Blaine's palm.

Very nearly beaming, Blaine gripped Kurt's hand lightly yet firmly and led him a few paces away from the couch and coffee table so they would have some swaying room. The song 'Tonight' by Lykke Li began playing as he held one of Kurt's hands in his own, cradling it to his chest while his other on slid around Kurt's tiny waist to press a warm, wide hand against Kurt's lower back and keep him close. Kurt actually shuffled a little closer and let his un-held hand grip Blaine's shoulder. That resolve he had been desperately grasping at was gone without a trace as he nuzzled his nose into the small indentation just below Blaine's ear.

They swayed slowly as Blaine breathed Kurt it. This was it, if there had been any doubt before, it was completely obliterated by now. _This _was the man he was going to spend the rest of his life with. He would follow Kurt anywhere. Nothing was too much for him. Nothing was _enough _for him. Blaine vowed to love Kurt the best he knew how.

Kurt promised himself that he would try to hold Blaine close even when it scared him. He let his love for this silly, short, curly headed man seep into every corner of his body and mind and just let it become a part of him. He was fairly certain that he would love this man until the day he died.

Very carefully, Kurt moved his head back, causing his nose to skim the length of Blaine's cheekbone, slowly and softly. He felt Blaine let out an almost whimpering breath as he pulled Kurt impossibly closer. Before he could scare himself out of doing it, Kurt, very deliberately and slowly, kissed Blaine's cheek. He drew it out and made it last, savoring every second. Blaine's breath stopped for a few seconds as his fingers nearly fused themselves to Kurt's lower back with the pressure they were exerting, trying to meld Kurt into his own body.

When Kurt finally broke the seal of his trembling lips from Blaine's warm olive skin, her resettled his nose into the crook of Blaine's neck, taking a deep, steadying breath that was filled with Blaine.

No other words were spoken as they continued to sway lightly as really just an excuse to hold one another. Neither of them realized when the song changed to 'Can't help falling in love' by Ingrid Michaelson. Neither of them realized when the song changed again and again, and…again…and …_again_. But both of them realize that maybe, just maybe, they weren't alone in this moment.

**A/N: Congratulations, you made it to the end! You are rewarded with fake cookies and punch…yay…So! What did you think? Are we liking the growing bond between Kurt and Blaine? Let me know what you're thinking! Leave me a review or send me a PM! Love you all so much!**


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